
Papers: Maresca in Man City talks as Pep emerges as candidate for Italy job
Enzo Maresca is in talks with Manchester City as Pep Guardiola emerges as a candidate for the Italy national team job.
Real Madrid's title hopes are in jeopardy after a draw against Real Betis, aided by former Barcelona player Hector Bellerin's stoppage-time goal. With only one month left in La Liga, Madrid has won just one of their last four matches.
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Former Barcelona player delivers a dagger on Real Madrid’s title hopes originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are out of the Champions League and only have the La Liga title to play for. Madrid have dug themselves into a massive hole though with only one month remaining. The Spanish giants have won only one of their last four league matches, and their latest draw against Real Betis came at the hands of a former Barcelona defender.
Bellerin was a La Masia prospect before spending most of his years with Arsenal. He was signed by Barcelona back in the 2022/23 season to give the Catalan squad some depth in the back, but his playing time was minimal.
Now, he’s at Betis, and he’s been a consistent performer for them, and his stoppage-time goal not only gives Barcelona even more wiggle room to work with (eight-point lead with a game in hand), but also gives Real Betis a major morale boost in their push for European qualification.
Bellerin's stoppage-time goal increased Barcelona's lead over Real Madrid to eight points, significantly diminishing Madrid's chances of winning the La Liga title.
Real Madrid has won only one of their last four league matches, putting them in a difficult position as the season nears its end.
Both teams were eliminated from the Champions League, leaving them to focus solely on the La Liga title.

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