Ivan Rakitic: Hailed by Jose Mourinho, Barcelona star’s El Clasico winner is a reminder of what he could do if unleashed elsewhere
The eyes of the world were on the Bernabeu on Saturday night, but in a game in which Lionel Messi is always expected to make the headlines it was instead his team-mate Ivan Rakitic who stole the show.The Croatia midfielders smart run followed by a beautifully placed chip over a flailing Sergio Ramos and helpless Thibaut Courtois sealed the win for Barcelona in El Clasico, and ensured they are now a damning 12 points clear of Real Madrid, effectively ending Los Blancos’ hopes of staying in the title race in La Liga.
4Rakitic’s chipped finish secured Barcelona victory in the most recent ClasicoRakitics finish was exactly the kind of chip Messi had failed to pull off earlier in the game – both a reminder that the Argentinian is mortal, and that the Croatian is much better than some give him credit for (as talkSPORT have previously argued this season).beIN SPORTS pundit for the day Jose Mourinhos post-match assertion that the midfielder is one of the most underrated players in world football will ring true for those who have watched his consistent excellence at a high level closely over the years, stretching all the way back to his days with Schalke in the Bundesliga.The winning goal was another moment of brilliance from a footballer who has discreetly been one of Barcelonas best players this season, and it could prove to be his last great contribution for the
Blaugrana against Madrid as uncertainty over Rakitic’s future remains in the air. The 30-year-old could have left Barcelona for PSG last summer, and though the Catalan club convinced him to stay, a contract extension beyond its current end period in 2021 has yet to materialise.
4Rakitic is rarely praised despite consistently excellent performances for BarcelonaWith promising Brazilian Arthur Melo already on the books, Frenkie de Jong due to join from Ajax, and persistent rumours that PSGs Adrian Rabiot will follow, Barcelona are starting to stockpile young midfielders in a move that looks like a clear changing of the guard.Rakitic has repeatedly expressed his desire to continue with his current club, but he’ll turn 32 in the 2019/20 campaign and this summer will be Baras last chance to move him on for maximum value.Their loss would be another clubs big gain – with Manchester United among those thought most likely to try and benefit. Rakitic is any managers dream: someone with the talent and ability to be the main playmaker of an elite side, but who is also willing to sacrifice individual plaudits for tactical discipline and doing the dirty work that helps others shine.Its because of that selflessness that he continues to be criminally underrated by some sections of the Barcelona support, but if another club were to take the leash off and let him display his full range of skills, the doubters would be surprised.His goal against Madrid was a small reminder of the attacking Rakitic from a bygone era, as was the rare dribble that should have won him a penalty in the preceding Copa del Rey Clasico; its easy to forget now, but the Croatian started as a winger at Schalke.And, although these days he is asked to leave the dribbling to others, Rakitic is more than capable of beating a man with quick feet and a change of pace in the final third.
4Rakitic began his career at Basel before joining Schalke as a teenagerIt was for his attacking quality that Rakitic was moved into the middle at Sevilla, where he was so good he proved to be the best player in the squad in two separate positions, leading to then-manager Unai Emery alternating his starting role. In some matches he would dictate play from deep as a Xabi Alonso-style quarterback, a position in which his signature move was a perfectly weighted long pass behind the opposition defence that Emerys team exploited to great effect.In others Rakitic would play just behind the striker, where Sevilla benefited from his excellent shot from outside the area, and natural ability to find space in the box then finish from a secondary run.Add to that his capacity to score from free-kicks, and Sevilla had one of the most dangerous players in Europe on their books.
4Rakitic worked under Unai Emery at SevillaRakitics numbers at Sevilla say it all: 32 goals and 41 assists in 149 games, compared to 34 goals and 34 assists in 253 for Barcelona. In other words, at a team with much less quality than his present side, he required around 100 fewer games to reach the goalscoring figures he has for Bara, and also created more goals for teammates.The midfielder stands out less at Barcelona, but only because his coaches dont need him to, and not because he isnt capable of it as the quality of Saturday’s winning goal showed (his career fourth against Madrid, all coming at the Bernabeu).If and when Barcelona move Rakitic on, a different club will be able to reap the rewards from his broad range of talents that few other midfielders in the present day can match. This new club, whoever it is, will enjoy someone Ernesto Valverde hailed at the Bernabeu as ‘incredibly consistent’ and ‘very complete’.You can bet Real Madrid would be happy to see him gone.
~ Liverpool's draw at Everton is NOT a bad result and losing top spot in the Premier League could benefit Reds, says talkSPORT's Ryan Mason ~ Kenya Latest
LIVE El Clasico News | One News Page
Ivan Rakitic: Hailed by Jose Mourinho, Barcelona star's El
Ivan Rakitic: Barcelona star's El Clasico winner is a reminder of what he could do if unleashed elsewhere The eyes of the world were on the Santiago Bernaebu on Saturday night, but in a game in which Lionel Messi is always expected to make the headlines it was instead team-mate Ivan Rakitic who stole the.. talkSPORT - Published on March 3, 2019
More than 3000 lightning strikes | Superloop road closures
hollywoodadviser.com/more-than-3000-lightning-strikes-superloop-road-closures/
Ivan Rakitic: Hailed by Jose Mourinho, Barcelona star's El Clasico winner is a reminder of what he could do if unleashed elsewhere.
Barcelona Latest News, Photos and Videos
ON THE RADAR Ivan Rakitic: Hailed by Jose Mourinho, Barcelona star's El Clasico winner is a reminder of what he could do if unleashed elsewhere
~ Ivan Rakitic: Hailed by Jose Mourinho, Barcelona star's El
Ivan Rakitic: Hailed by Jose Mourinho, Barcelona star's El Clasico winner is a reminder of what he could do if unleashed elsewhere Written by: fpnews Posted on: March 3, 2019 The eyes of the world were on the Bernabeu on Saturday night, but in a game in which Lionel Messi is always expected to make the headlines it was instead his team-mate
Hailed by Jose Mourinho, Barcelona star's El Clasico winner
sportsalert.org/2019/03/03/hailed-by-jose-mourinho-barcelona-stars-el-clasico-winner-is-a-reminder-of-what-he-could-do-if-unleashed-elsewhere/
Hailed by Jose Mourinho, Barcelona star's El Clasico winner is a reminder of what he could do if unleashed elsewhere it was instead his team-mate Ivan Rakitic
~ Liverpool's draw at Everton is NOT a bad result and losing
Ivan Rakitic: Barcelona star's El Clasico winner is a reminder of what he could do if unleashed elsewhere. The Croatia international scored the winning goal in Saturday's El Clasico to all but end Real Madrid's title challenge. barcelona - TalkSport 7:43am PST - March 3rd, 2019
hailed Archives - SportsAlert
sportsalert.org/tag/hailed/
RIDICULOUS Ronaldo sent the Serie A giants through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a stunning performance on Tuesday night Rio Ferdinand hailed his former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo a "living football God" after the Juventus star hit a sensational hat-trick against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
يوليو 2017 ~ Fc BarceLona News
Fc BarceLona News. About. accueil
FOOTBALL INSIDER- the football secrets and tips revealed.
footyinsider.weebly.com/premeirla-liga.html
The biggest encouragement to Chelsea's rivals in the title race is the Blues' over-reliance on Diego Costa. The 26-year-old leads the scoring chart with nine goals but is bound to need a rest at some stage after Jose Mourinho admitted he is hardly training, owing to a nagging hamstring injury. This is where Drogba comes in.
0 Comments