Just four weeks into the new La Liga campaign, defending champions Barcelona have resigned themselves to being without midfield ace Pedri until late October, as the club has decided to be careful with their prize asset.
The young Spain star played a pivotal role in the Catalans’ 2023 La Liga success, and he will be a vital player in the club’s defence of the hard won crown when he returns, but the latest La Liga 2023 betting odds reckon Barcelona have a real battle on to keep Real Madrid’s hands off the trophy.
Having suffered a pre-season injury, Pedri felt a re-occurrence in his quad in training and missed the last two games against Osasuna and Villarreal.
The club hopes the international break will enable him to rest and recuperate while the physios work on a return, which could be when Barca meet Athletic Bilbao on October 22nd. But Pedri will miss the opening Champions League games as well as up to five matches in the Spanish top-flight.
The Blaugrana’s loan signing of Joao Felix, recently reported here at SBOTOP, has strengthened Xavi’s hand in the creative midfield department so he will be in no rush to bring any injured player back too early. When he returns, Pedri will strengthen the team hugely, and the manager wants him to see out the remainder of the campaign.
In other Catalonian news, it has been decided that Barcelona’s match against Sevilla has been set for the 29th September at 9pm, and that is not to the Blaugrana’s liking.
The champions rarely play on a Friday night, and the match will clash with a concert by singer Joaquin Sabina, and Barca chiefs are worried that the busy night will make access for Barca fans more difficult.
It’s a hectic weekend in Barcelona with another concert on Saturday night, so Barca have asked for the game to be played at 2pm on the 30th.
Real Madrid became the most valuable club in the world
Barca’s El Clasico rivals seem to be having a better time of it at the moment. They have started the league season with a perfect set of La Liga 2023 results, which means that after four games, Real Madrid are leading the pack. Girona, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid are in hot pursuit but, as we enter the international break, Carlo Ancelotti’s boys are the top dogs.
Jude Bellingham’s 95th minute winner against Getafe preserved Los Blancos’ 100-percent record, and the young England star has made a scintillating start to his career at the Santiago Bernabeu.
And there is good news for the Madrid giants off the field too, as they have just discovered they top the list of the most valuable clubs on the planet.
While six Premier League sides made the top 10, the Forbes list of the most valuable clubs gave Los Blancos the highest price at $6.07 billion while the club posted a healthy turnover of over $800 million. Manchester United came in second with Barcelona third and Liverpool in fourth.
That’s nice for the owners to know, but it won’t be of any concern to boss Ancelotti who is hoping to wrestle the La Liga title back from Catalonia in what could be his last season in his second stint as boss at the Santiago Bernabeu. His contract runs out next summer, and Ancelotti is rumoured to have been lined up as the next Brazil national team coach.
Meanwhile, Luka Modric has insisted he is still happy to play at Real Madrid despite having a reduced role this season. The 37-year-old midfield maestro is no longer a shoo-in for a starting spot with youngsters Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga both ahead of him in the pecking order.
The Croatian legend has started just one of Los Blancos opening four games, coming off the bench in the other three, and he says he is as content as he has been in his 12-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Raul to Villarreal?
After a poor start to the 2023/24 campaign, Villarreal have sacked boss Quique Setien, and it looks like Real Madrid legend Raul could be in line for the job.
Setien guided the Yellow Submarine to a fifth-placed finish last season, but the club’s owners have been quick to act after a run of three defeats in their opening four games.
A recent match with Barcelona saw the Yellow Sub surrender a 3-2 lead to lose 4-3, and the loss of key players including Pau Torres, Nicolas Jackson, and Samuel Chukwueze has left a serious rebuilding job to be done.
Raul is currently manager of Castillas, but he has been given the green light to speak to Villarreal and is said to be attracted by the opportunity.
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