Real Madrid

The match will be played at the Home Depot Center, the home of the MLS side, on August 2, as the exhibition tournament returns for the second year running.

Galaxy chief operating officer Chris McGowan told the club’s official website: “We are excited to give our fans a chance to see the Galaxy take on one of the best clubs in the world in Real Madrid.

“This will be a tremendous event for Southern California soccer fans, especially with the opportunity to see this game in such an intimate setting as The Home Depot Center.

“It will truly be one of the must-see sporting events of the year.”

The match will mark the fourth time that the Galaxy have locked horns with Madrid, with their first friendly encounter coming in 2005.

Other clubs participating in the WFC this summer include Liverpool, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Seattle Sounders and New York Red Bulls.

Jose Maria Callejon

The attacker joined Madrid from Espanyol in the summer of 2011, and has developed into an important squad player in his first season at the Blancos since his return.

“I am very happy both on a personal level and with the team’s performances. It has been a good year for us. We won the league title and achieved one of our main objectives,” the 25-year-old said to AS.

“I want to keep up my current form next season, and play more games and score goals for Madrid. The aim is to keep on winning silverware here in the years to come.”

Callejon has made 25 Liga appearances this term, scoring five goals in the process.

The Catalan giants will face Chelsea in the semi-finals of European football’s elite competition, while Real Madrid face a tricky tie against Bayern Munich.

However, Ronaldo is confident that the two Spanish rivals will overcome their tough last-four encounters to reach the showpiece event, which is to be held at Bayern’s Allianz Arena on May 19.

“Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are both at a high level and it will be a hard-fought semi-final, but I believe Real will go through,” he is quoted as saying by ESPN Brazil.

“Spain is suffering an economic crisis but both teams [Madrid and Barcelona] are at a level much higher than the rest. The Champions League final will be between them.”

The former forward then moved on to speak positively of Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, who he believes will stay in the Spanish capital beyond the current campaign.

“He has a winning mentality and tremendous ability to forward in on to the players. He has a great Real Madrid team capable of winning everything. I think he will stay at Real. I do not think he will leave, not until he achieves all of his goals,” the 35-year-old concluded.

Ronaldo scored 47 goals in 49 appearances during a one-year spell at Barcelona, while netting 104 times in 177 games for Madrid, enjoying five seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Chelsea

The west Londoners came into the return leg on the back of a 3-1 defeat in Italy and took a first-half lead through Didier Drogba.

Chelsea doubled their advantage two minutes into the second period thanks to a John Terry header, which would have been enough to put the home side through on away goals.

The tie turned back Napoli’s way after Gokhan Inler netted eight minutes later, although Frank Lampard struck from the spot to force extra-time in which Ivanovic hit a 105th-minute winner.

Real Madrid secured their passage to the quarter-finals with a comfortable 4-1 win over CSKA Moscow.

Seydou Doumbia missed a glorious chance to give the visitors the lead inside 10 minutes as he fired over when clean through, but Real slowly started to take control of the game and deservedly took the lead as Gonzalo Higuain slotted home from Kaka’s pull-back.

A howler from Sergei Chepchugov allowed the hosts to double their advantage as he spilled Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-range shot into his own net 10 minutes after half-time and Karim Benzema slotted home the third at the second attempt with 20 minutes remaining.

Zoran Tosic got a consolation for CSKA with a wonderful strike five minutes later, but Ronaldo sealed the victory with a tap-in after an unselfish pass from Benzema in stoppage time.

Real Madrid

It was reported in January that the Portuguese trainer had already decided to leave the club at the end of the current campaign in order to return to England, with both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur touted as potential destinations for the 49-year-old.

However, with Los Blancos currently ten points clear at the top of La Liga, Ronaldo is steadfast in his belief that his compatriot will remain in Madrid.

“Mourinho will stay with us, I’m sure,” the attacker told reporters ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow.

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi recently expressed his interest in signing Ronaldo, but the player insisted that he could not be more content in the Spanish capital.

“I’m always growing, season after season,” the former Manchester United man enthused. “At Real Madrid I always have to improve to compete with my peers.

“For me it is amazing; I’m always learning and I want to continue. I am very happy.”

Ronaldo added that even if he or his coach did depart, Los Blancos would not collapse and also had a word on the second leg of the club’s round of 16 tie in the Champions League against CSKA.

“Real Madrid are the most important thing – not me or Mourinho.

“We’re doing well, [but] we know that tomorrow [Wednesday] we have a very difficult game,” the 27-year-old concluded.

Real Madrid only have an away-goal advantage coming into the second leg of the tie against CSKA in the Champions League after a 1-1 draw in Russia in the first game. (goal)

Betis went ahead early on through Jorge Molina but Madrid battled back to lead with goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Ronaldo.

The home side refused to give in and equalised through Jefferson Montero’s 55th-minute strike, but Ronaldo had the final word 17 minutes from time as Jose Mourinho’s men recorded their 11th successive league win to move further clear of Barcelona, who play Racing Santander on Sunday.

Jose Salomon Rondon scored the only goal as Malaga leapfrogged Levante into fourth place in the Primera Division with a 1-0 win.

The hosts had by far the better of the opening period but it took them until six minutes after the break to take the lead when Rondon got the merest of touches to Joaquin’s cross to divert the ball into the far corner.

Both sides came into the game after back-to-back wins but it was Malaga who appeared the more confident as Levante played extremely cautiously.

On-loan Sporting Gijon midfielder Andre Castro scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory as Sevilla‘s European ambitions suffered a blow on a rowdy night at El Molinon.

Castro’s sublime finish from an acute angle on 32 minutes gave the baying home fans reason for cheer as Sporting ended a seven-game winless run to boost their survival hopes.

A spicy atmosphere saw the home fans routinely throw paper balls at the Sevilla players whose frustration at the hostile atmosphere and Sporting’s fine rearguard was evident by the end.

The final whistle prompted a skirmish involving a number of players, most notably Sevilla’s Federico Fazio who had to be pulled away from a confrontation with home defender Gregory Arnolin.

To add to the theatre of the night the win constituted a personal triumph for Sporting boss Javier Clemente who has had run-ins with his Sevilla counterpart Michel after he dropped him from a Spain squad while in charge of the national team two decades ago.

The off-field drama overshadowed a wonderful strike from Castro, on loan from Porto, as he expertly controlled Adrian Colunga’s lobbed pass before driving an angled shot in with his second touch on 32 minutes.

Imanol Agirretxe scored twice as Real Sociedad cruised to a 3-0 win over Real Zaragoza.

The hosts were dominant from start to finish and had the points sewn up by half-time after three first-half goals. Agirretxe got the first as he volleyed into an unguarded net after Roberto had parried David Zurutuza’s cross on 18 minutes.

Three minutes later Carlos Vela made it two as his deflected effort wrong-footed Roberto and Agirretxe tapped home his second after Alberto de la Bella’s cross had found him free at the back post.

Vela and Joseba Llorente should have added more goals in the second period and Zaragoza’s miserable evening was completed when Maurizio Lanzaro was sent-off for a second bookable offence.

Juventus

Higuain’s father and agent, Jorge Higuain, says his son will not close the door for Juventus. He said this because they believedJuventus will bid against Higuain next season.

“For Gonzalo (Higuain), he now only thinks about playing well in BBVA Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid. However, it is great news to hear the interest of clubs such as Juventus, which is one of the best clubs in the world,” said Jorge .

“But, now it’s too soon to talk about this. In my view, we will consider various situations that will develop later and are ready to talk with them (Juventus),” he said.

Higuain joined Madrid from Argentine club, River Plate, in 2007. Along with Madrid, The French-born Argentinian has scored 85 goals in 150 appearances for Madrid.

Real Madrid

Performing in front of their own supporters and with their best squad, it was necessarily easy for Madrid to overcome the resistance of Espanyol in the first half. Madrid did control the game, but also found difficulty in penetrating the opponent’s defense.

Jose Mourinho’s boys could finally create a threat in the 20th minute through Ricardo Kaka. His right foot shot from the left side did head for the goal. However, the ball also headed to goalkeeper Francisco Casilla so that it was easily handled.

Madrid did not gave up easy. The result was seen in the 23rd minute, Cristiano Ronaldo managed to bring the hosts ahead. Utilizing an assist from Gonzalo Higuain, Ronaldo was able to beat Casilla with his left foot shot.

Madrid managed to add their advantage in the 38th minute through a good teamwork effort by Sami Khedira, Ronaldo, and Mesut Ozil. Khedira’s short pass was forwarded by Ronaldo to Oezil. The ball was returned to Khedira who calmly strucked the ball into the left corner of the Espanyol goal.

In the extra time of the first half, Higuain had a chance to score for Madrid. Unfortunately, his effort was stoppen by Casilla.

In the second minute of the second half, Madrid was able to score a third goal through the Higuain. This goal started from Kaka’s movement on the left side that was finished with a sweet pass to Higuain. Without mercy, the Argentine striker found the net with his left foot flick.

In the 58th minute, Ronaldo got a golden opportunity to score his second goal. Unfortunately, despite already one on one with Casilla, Ronaldo failed to take advantage of this opportunity. Ronaldo’s shot was blocked by Casilla.

Ronaldo’s failure was not repeated by Kaka. In the 67th minute, Kaka managed to fool a defender before beating Espanyol’s Casilla with his right foot.

Madrid continued their party. In the 78th minute, Higuain scored his second goal after receiving a pass from Kaka.

Madrid actually had a lot of chances to add goals. However, Casilla was able to continue to fail Madrid’s efforts to score more than five goals.

Real Madrid: Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Ricardo Carvalho (Raphael Varane 46), Marcelo, Álvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Oezil (Jose Callejon 70), Gonzalo Higuain (Alvaro Morata 82), Kaka.

Espanyol: Francisco Casilla, Héctor Moreno, Raúl Rodríguez (Jordi Amat 61), Didac, Javi Lopez, Romaric, Juan Forlin, Philippe Coutinho (Raul Baena 46), Vladimir Weiss, Álvaro Vasquez (Sergio Garcia 46), Verdu.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The Sweden international, who spent a turbulent season at Barcelona between 2009 and 2010, helped the Rossoneri win the Scudetto last season and has stated that he would like to finish his career with the club.

However, while Ibrahimovic never managed to settle during his short stint at Camp Nou, his representative, Mino Raiola, has hinted that his client would be open to a return to La Liga.

“Every day I get offers, I cannot give certainty,” he said of Ibrahimovic’s future during an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Real Madrid would be a very interesting challenge.”

Ibrahimovic has scored 15 goals in 18 appearances in Serie A so far this season and Raiola recently stated that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi values the player at €150 million. (Goal)

Real Madrid

Barcelona responded to Madrid’s earlier victory with a closer-than-comfort 2-1 win of its own over Real Sociedad to stay undefeated at Camp Nou stadium this season.

Madrid dominated possession at Alfonso Perez Coliseum, but Getafe—the only team to beat Barcelona in any competition this season—held firm in defense to keep alive its chances until the final whistle.

“It was an evenly matched game against a rival that always plays us tough,” goalscorer Sergio Ramos said. “But you have to know how to suffer and at the end you get the reward.”

With Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola resting some starters for Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semifinal against Valencia, Lionel Messi set up youth player Cristian Tello for Barcelona’s opener and then added another before Sociedad substitute Carlos Vela halved the deficit.

“I’m happy for the goal and because the coach had faith in me, but also for the win because the team needed it,” Tello said. “The league is very long and there are a lot of points left, so we have to be there when Madrid stumbles.”

Getafe, which entered the game unbeaten in six rounds, had an excellent opportunity to grab the lead three minutes in, but young forward Abdel Barrada volleyed over the bar from point-blank range.

That would be one of the few times the hosts threatened Iker Casillas’ net as Madrid quickly grabbed the lead in the 18th when Ramos turned Mesut Oezil’s corner kick into the far side of the net with a powerful header. The assist took the Germany midfielder’s league-high tally to 12 on the season.

Madrid’s lack of finishing touch almost cost it in the 72nd when defender Pepe clearly blocked Diego Castro’s shot with his arm before collapsing to the ground as if knocked unconscious, but the referee ignored Getafe’s call for a penalty.

“I didn’t see it,” said Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka, who again spoke for head coach Jose Mourinho. “If we had been more in tune we would have won by a wider margin.”

Barcelona’s game against Sociedad followed a similar pattern, with the European champions owning both the ball and scoring opportunities but unable to decide the game early on.

Facing injuries to Spanish internationals Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez and David Villa, Guardiola again turned to Barcelona’s youth team and gave the nod to Tello along with winger Isaac Cuenca.

And it fell to Tello to start the scoring when he ran onto Messi’s pass and rolled a right-footed strike under the oncoming Claudio Bravo for the ninth-minute goal.

Barcelona, led by a Messi anxious for his first goal in four games, pressed hard to extend the lead.

Tello thought he had a brace in the 68th when he fired in Cuenca’s rebound that had come off the crossbar, but it was waived off after the referee ruled Dani Alves offside when the ball hit him on the goalline before finding the net.

“I want to thank everyone who came out tonight with this weather,” Guardiola said. “And second, I want to congratulate Cristian and Isaac. It isn’t easy to play under so much pressure.”

Messi finally broke through in the 72nd when he made a diagonal run to meet Dani Alves’ lob and whipped it into the net with a left-footed shot for his 23rd goal in league play.

But just when Barcelona looked likely to cruise to another comfortable home win, Vela got behind the defense and coolly fired by goalkeeper Victor Valdes two minutes later to keep nerves high until the end.

Sergio Busquets went on as a late substitute to shore up Barcelona’s midfield, but lasted only 10 minutes before having to be carried off with a deep cut in his right leg after a collision with another player.

Elsewhere, Espanyol substitute Juan Albin scored in stoppage time as his team rallied twice to draw 3-3 at Athletic Bilbao.

Levante held onto fourth place despite a 1-1 draw with Racing Santander, level on points with Espanyol and two clear of Bilbao.

Mallorca edged Real Betis 1-0 as both teams finished with 10 men after Betis’ Pedro Mario and Mallorca’s Ivan Ramis were each booked twice.

On Sunday, it’s: Sporting Gijon vs. Osasuna, Sevilla vs. Villarreal, Zaragoza vs. Rayo Vallecano, and Atletico Madrid vs. Valencia.

Malaga hosts Granada on Monday.