In La Liga Transfer News we have Sergio Ramos, who agreed to return to his boyhood club Sevilla as a free agent, 18 years after leaving for Real Madrid.

Read also : List of every Premier League summer transfer in 2023

Ramos to Sevilla

Former Spain defender, Sergio Ramos after enjoying a two year spell in PSG colours is set to return to La Liga where he spent most of his life. He has decided to sign for defending Europa League Champions, Sevilla as a free agent.

The 37-year-old has agreed to sign a 1 year contract and it looks like this is where he wants his footballing career to conclude. He could really help Sevilla, who are currently bottom of the league, with the vast experience of his.

It is known that Ramos grew up on the outskirts of Sevilla and joined their academy when he was sir or seven years of age. He made 50 appearances for Sevilla before signing for Real Madrid in 2005 as reported in La Liga Transfer News.

Ramos spent 16 seasons in the Spanish capital, racking up 671 appearances and winning 22 trophies, with five La Liga titles to go alongside his European success.

Ramos also won a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, earning a record 180 caps over 16 years, while also lifting four Champions League trophies with Real Madrid.

The former Spain captain retired from international football in February, two years after his last appearance when he was told he was not part of coach Luis de la Fuente's plans.

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Sportz Point. Tonight we'll cover the El-Clasico match between Real Madrid and Barcelona said to be played at Santiago Bernabeu.

El-Clasico has been one of the most watched matches in football with two of the football giants going against each other. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have been in red-hot form and are coming from wins in the UEFA Champions League.

Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund by 3-2 after getting trailed by 0-2 in the first half. Vinicius Jr. scored a stunning hat-trick to pull off a great win.

Meantime Barcelona were clinical against FC Bayern Munich as they thrashed the German club by 4-1 with captain Raphinha scoring a hat-trick.

Read Also | LaLiga 2024-25 | Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona | El Clasico Preview

With Barcelona looking to stay at the top of the La Liga table, and Real Madrid aiming to close the gap between them and Barcelona, we have a great match in our hands.

So, sit back and relax as we bring you all the live updates of the Real Madrid vs Barcelona El-Clasico 2024 from our web desk.

Over the years, players have worked their way into a club's history by scoring many goals, dazzling fans, and ensuring countless victories. Barcelona's club's top scorers have left a huge mark on both the club and the sport. Sportz Point highlights Barcelona's top 5 for you.

Lionel Messi- 627 Goals

Often termed the greatest player of his generation. He is regarded as the best player in the club's history, Messi's extraordinary talent and unmatched consistency turned him into a living legend at Camp Nou.

Messi made his La Liga debut on October 16, 2004, between that time and when he left the club in 2021 he was instrumental in Barcelona winning 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League.

Read Also: Lionel Messi's Top 5 most important free-kick goals

His brace against Real Betis saw the Argentine forward become Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga, and surpassed Gerd Muller's record for most goals scored in a calendar year; Messi would score a record 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina throughout 2012

Cesar Rodriguez- 232

Barcelona has started the season strong, winning all seven of their La Liga matches, largely due to Hansi Flick's sharp tactical approach and effective coaching. However, the team now faces its toughest challenge yet with the injury to their goalkeeper.

Ter Stegen’s Importance to Barcelona’s Defense

As one of the most experienced players in the squad, Ter Stegen's influence on the backline is invaluable. His leadership and ability to organize the defense are critical. At the same time, his exceptional shot-stopping skills have consistently been a key factor in the team's ability to secure victories and maintain dominance on the field. With 449 matches across 10 seasons, there is no gainsaying that he remains an important part of this squad.

Read Also: Top 10 players with the Most goals in a single season

Szczesny: A Suitable Replacement or Risk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Barcelona has reached an agreement with the former Polish international to come out of retirement and cover for the injured Ter Stegen. While some may question this decision due to his time away from football, I hold a different view. Szczesny is a seasoned professional, having played for top European clubs like Juventus and Arsenal. His extensive experience will offer the perfect balance for a team that has several young players. It remains to be seen how well the club will cope without their captain.

Read Also:SAFF U-17 Championship 2024: India to face Nepal in semis

Having scored a brace against Villarreal in LaLiga last week, FC Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski solidified his position in the top 3 in the list of most goalscorers in Europe's top five leagues in the 21st century. Lewandowski has now scored 360 goals in the top five leagues while playing for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and for FC Barcelona in LaLiga. 

This article will highlight 8 players who have scored the most goals in the 21st Century in Europe's top five leagues, which include the Premier League (England), LaLiga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), Bundesliga (Germany), and Ligue 1(France).

8. Luis Suarez | 245 Goals

Luis Suarez, famously known as El Pistelero is one of the greatest strikers this century has ever witnessed. The Uruguayan legend had played in two of the top 5 European leagues and left his golden mark engraved everywhere he played.

Suarez showed his attributes in LaLiga for FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, whereas he played for Liverpool FC in the Premier League. He sits in the 8th position on this particular list with 245 goals by his name.

Read Also | MSN vs BBC: Rivalry of football's greatest trio in stats 

Suarez scored 69 Premier League goals for Liverpool FC in 110 appearances. He played for three years in Liverpool before Barcelona took him in in 2014. Suarez continued to display his bossing presence on the pitch as he scored 144 goals for Barcelona in 191 Laliga appearances over six years.

A dispute with FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman in 2020 led him to join their rivals in La Liga, Atletico Madrid. Suarez played in 67 Laliga matches for Atletico and scored 32 goals before leaving Europe in 2022. 

7. Sergio Aguero | 259 Goals 

Sergio 'Kun' Aguero is one of the best strikers that Argentina has ever produced and undoubtedly the greatest striker in Manchester City's history. His league-winning goal against QPR handed Man City their third Premier League title in 2012 and his goal remains one of the most iconic moments in football history. Aguero is 7th on this list with 259 goals in total.

Though he is mostly remembered for his achievements with Manchester City, it was Atletico Madrid that brought Aguero to European top-flights in 2006. Spending 5 years in LaLiga, Aguero scored 74 goals in 175 appearances for Atletico.

Read Also | Most goals for Manchester City: 19 Players to score 100 goals for them 

Then he moved to the Premier League to join Manchester City in 2011 and the following season he scored that iconic goal in the final matchday. Before moving back to LaLiga with Barcelona in 2021, Aguero already had scored 184 Premier Goals for City in 275 appearances. 

This legendary striker had to decide to retire in December 2021 because of a rare heart condition and could only play 4 matches for FC Barcelona before his retirement and managed to score only 1 goal.

6. Edinson Cavani | 267 Goals 

Another Uruguayan striker, Edinson Cavani is on the list and holds the 6th position. Cavani spent a significant amount of time playing for Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue1. Cavani had also played for a long time for Palermo and Napoli in Serie A. He also had short stints at Premier League club Manchester United and LaLiga club Valencia.

Cavani moved to Europe to play for Palermo in Serie A in 2007. Though having scored 34 goals in 109 appearances he was loaned to Napoli in 2010. Napoli signed him permanently after the loan agreement ended in 2011.

Read Also | Football Jersies in demand: Atletico Madrid's Spiderman kit 

Cavani spent two years at Napoli scoring 78 goals in 104 Serie A appearances. His spell at Paris SG is often underappreciated though he showed his best goalscoring prowess for them, with 138 Ligue1 goals in 200 appearances by his name. 

Cavani joined Manchester United in 2020 and before leaving in 2022, he had 12 Premier League goals in 41 appearances. His last stint in Europe was in LaLiga as Valencia signed him in 2022 on a free transfer and he left Europe after just one year in Spain. 

5. Karim Benzema | 281 Goals 

Karim Benzema was a name that was always mentioned after Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale during their time together at Real Madrid. But after Cristiano's departure, Benzema managed to unveil his potential and showcased his absolute brilliance for Real Madrid. Most importantly, Benzema won Ballon D'or in 2022 for his monstrous performance in the Real Madrid shirt in the LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League.

Read Also | Ballon d'Or 2024: Most Ballon d'Or wins by Clubs 

Having spent more than a decade in Real Madrid, he scored 238 goals in 439 LaLiga appearances. Before joining Real Madrid in 2009, he spent 4 years at Olympique Lyonnais where he scored 43 goals in 112 Ligue1 appearances. Benzema left Real Madrid and Europe in 2023. He is 5th in the list with 281 goals in total. 

4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 302 Goals 

No other player in this list has had the pride of playing for six top European clubs in the top five European Leagues but we have always witnessed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a different breed. His famous arrogance also reflected on the pitch. This Swedish striker had appeared in the Premier League, LaLiga, Ligue1, and Serie A and played for AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester United, FC Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain.

Ibrahimovic's career was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. He joined Serie A side Juventus from Ajax in 2004. After two years He joined another Serie A side, Inter Milan. After spending three years at Inter, Zlatan left Italy and signed for the Spanish club FC Barcelona.

Read Also: Most Iconic Rivalries in European Football Leagues: History & Stats 

However, his time in Barcelona was not very special as he was loaned back to Italy, and the other side of Milan welcomed him this time. He spent a year on loan in AC Milan and they permanently signed him in 2011. But his expedition continued as he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in 2012. Zlatan left Paris in 2016 and went to test himself in the Premier League with Manchester United signing him. But in 2018, his sudden move to the USA to play for Los Angeles Galaxy shocked everyone.

Zlatan came back to Europe again in 2020 and spent the last three years of his illustrated career at AC Milan. During his long exploration of 18 years in the top five European leagues, he collected 302 goals in total and now stands 4th in this list. 

3. Robert Lewandowski | 360 Goals*

The Polish Goal-machine Robert Lewandowski is the only active player in this list who is playing in a European top-flight league. The current Barcelona forward spent most of his career in the Bundesliga playing for Borussia Dortmund and mostly for Bayern Munich. Lewandowski achieved many triumphs with Bayern Munich and broke many individual and league records. He also won the Sextuple with Bayern in 2020. 

Lewandowski came to the Bundesliga in 2010 to play for Borussia Dortmund and during his 4-year stint at Dortmund, he scored 74 goals in 131 Bundesliga appearances. He joined Dortmund's arch-rival Bayern in 2014 and spent eight long years for the Bavarians. He registered 238 goals in 253 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern.

Read Also | Top 10 players with the Most goals in a single season 

Lewandowski joined FC Barcelona in 2022 and currently plays for them and has already scored 48 goals for the Blaugranas in 75 LaLiga appearances. With a total of 360 goals, he stands in the 3rd position and is the only active player from this list who is playing in Europe. 

2. Cristiano Ronaldo | 495 Goals 

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest player of all-time alongside Lionel Messi and without a doubt, he is one of those few clutch players who can change a game in seconds. The 'CR7' is considered the greatest goalscorer ever because of his immense talent and most effective goalscoring prowess. The Portuguese bossed in three top European Leagues for nearly two decades while playing for Juventus, Manchester United, and mostly for the club that is almost synonymous with him, Real Madrid.

Ronaldo holds many individual and club records and is considered one of the greatest players in Real Madrid's history. Alex Ferguson brought him to Manchester United in 2003 and at a very young age. Ferguson nurtured Ronaldo and turned him into one of the most dependable players of Manchester United at that time. He scored 84 goals in 196 Premier League appearances before signing for Real Madrid in 2009.

Read Also | Statistical Overlook of Messi vs Ronaldo Debate: Who Is the G.O.A.T

His chapter in Real Madrid lasted a decade but carved a story that would impress people from all over the world. Ronaldo scored 311 goals in 292 appearances in LaLiga. 

In 2018, Ronaldo moved to Italy to play for Juventus and registered 81 goals in 98 Serie A appearances. In 2021, he came back to his younghood club Manchester United but it did not go as he wished.

Ronaldo left the club in 2022 after a contract termination but with 19 goals in 40 PL appearances in his second spell in England. Ronaldo left Europe in 2023. He scored 495 goals in total and stands 2nd on the list.

1. Lionel Messi | 496 Goals 

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all-time and a phenomenon that has impressed generations. The 'LM10' is considered the greatest because of his immaculate skills and literally everything he does on the pitch. Messi is undoubtedly the greatest player to ever grace Barcelona's crest as well. Messi played in LaLiga for FC Barcelona for almost two decades and has taken possession of many personal records and accolades. Messi also played for Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue1.

Read Also | 10 players who have won the most trophies in football history 

The greatest La Masia graduate was promoted to the senior Barcelona team in 2005. He lived every minute on the pitch and gave his blood and sweat to Barcelona for nearly two decades. During this long journey, Messi made 520 LaLiga appearances and scored 474 goals. 

Messi joined PSG in 2021 over a dispute over his contract renewal with FC Barcelona and played two years for them. Before leaving PSG and Europe in 2023, he scored 22 goals for the French team in 58 Ligue1 appearances. Lionel Messi tops the list of the highest goalscorers in the top five leagues in the 21st century.

The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 has started and the first matchweek is over as well. On the very first matchday, Bayern Munich thrashed Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb with a scoreline of 9-2 and became the first-ever team to score nine goals in a UCL match. They have also registered themselves as the first-ever team to have a huge margin of victory in the new UCL League Phase format.

In this article, we are going to look back to some of the biggest wins in Champions League history since the modern UCL Era, which started in 1992.

Biggest wins in the Champions League Group Stage

The new League phase format of the UCL has replaced the Group Stage format which existed from 1991-92 to the 2023-24 season. These classic group stages have seen some of the craziest victories by a huge scoreline. Here are the following matches:

1. Liverpool FC 8-0 Besiktas JK | UCL 2007-08

Liverpool FC met Turkish side Besiktas JK in the group stage of UCL 2007-08 at the Anfield. Peter Crouch opened the scoring spree for Liverpool in the 19th minute of the game. Following this, Youssi Benayoun scored a hat-trick to make it 4 for The Reds.

Steven Gerrard scored a goal in the 70th minute of the game, after which, Ryan Babel scored a brace to make it 7-0 for Liverpool. Peter Crouch put the final nail in the coffin as he scored his second and Liverpool's 8th goal. The match finished with a scoreline of 8-0 in favour of The Reds, six of which came in the second half. 

Rafael Benitez's men became the first team in UCL's history to score eight goals in a single UCL Group match as well as the first team to score six goals after half-time of a UCL match.

Read Also | Statistical Overlook of Messi vs Ronaldo Debate: Who Is the G.O.A.T?

2. Real Madrid 8-0 Malmo FF | UCL 2015-16

Champions League's most successful team in history, Real Madrid registered their biggest UCL Group Stage victory against Malmo, by 8-0 in the 2015-16 season. Cristiano Ronaldo was the most instrumental player for the Royal Whites, bagging 4 goals. He also scored a brilliant free-kick from outside the box. Karim Benzema drew the first blood in this match and ended with a hat-trick as well. Mateo Kovacic found himself on the scoreline with one goal.

Coincidentally, Rafael Benitez was again in charge, this time for Real Madrid.

Though the biggest winning margin in a UCL Group Match is by 8 goals, here are some significant huge victories that the Group stage has witnessed: 

Biggest Single-match victories in the Round of Sixteens

Round of Sixteen used to be the first Knock-out stage after the Group Stage being over. The previous UCL format ensured a two-legged tie in the knock-outs, except for the final. But sometimes, some teams finished their next round qualification in a singhe leg by a huge margin. Here are those matches:

1. Bayern Munich 7-0 Shakhtar Donetsk | UCL 2014-15

Bayern Munich ran riot agaisnt Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of their Round of Sixteen tie in 2014-15 season.The Bavarians defeated the opponent by scoring 7-0, a record in round of 16 stage.

Thomas Muller scored a brace; while Jerome Boateng, Frank Ribery, Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze and Holger Badstuber scored one each. Pep Guardiola was the manager of Bayern Munich that time. 

2. Manchester City 7-0 RB Leipzig | 2022-23

The 2022-23 season was Erling Haaland's first season in Manchester City colours and he made sure he broke tons of records for the Blues in his debut season. The Norwegian wonder scored 5 goals against RB Leipzig in the second leg of their tie, as Manchester City bulldozed RB Leipzig with a stunning scoreline of 7-0.

Read Also | Erling Haaland: Top 10 fastests to 20 UEFA Champions League goals 

Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne extended their lead to 7 goals by scoring one goal each. Later that season, Manchester City clinched their first-ever UEFA Champions League title by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul.

Again, coincidentally, Pep Guardiola was City's manager this time! 

Here are two other huge victories that happened in the Round Of Sixteens.

Winning Teams	Opponents	Scorelines	Season
Bayern Munich	FC Basel	7-0	2011-12
Manchester City	Schalke 04	7-0	2018-19

 

Biggest Single-match victories in Champions League Quarter Finals

Over the years, UCL Quarter Finals have seen some of the biggest and most iconic wins in the history of the competition. Here are the following matches:

1. Manchester United 7-1 AS Roma | 2006-07

Manchester United faced AS Roma in their Quarter Final tie of UCL the 2006-07 season. Though AS Roma had defeated Manchester United by 2-1 in the first leg, the Red Devils made an iconic comeback in the second leg after beating Roma by 7-1 at the Old Trafford.

Micheal Carrick scored the first goal for United in the 11th minute followed by two more from Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney in the first 20 minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace as well, and Carrick scored another to make it six for United. Daniele De Rossi pulled one back for Roma, but Patrice Evra scored the seventh. 

2. Bayern Munich 8-2 FC Barcelona | 2019-20

This defeat was FC Barcelona's most humiliating one among their recent UCL appearances. Due to covid protocols, UEFA decided to arrange single-legged knock-outs in 2020.

Bayern made sure they stamp authority over the Catalonian side with a 8-2 victory. Thomas Muller scored early in the 4th minute into the game, but David Alaba's own goal awarded an equaliser to Barca. Ivan Perisic, Serge Gnabry scored one each and with Thomas Muller scoring again, the first half ended with a scoreline of 4-1 in favour of Bayern.

Though Luis Suarez scored another one for Barca, Bayern added 4 goals to their tally in the second half to make it 8-2 for them. Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski scored one each and Philippe Coutinho scored a brace for Bayern. 

Here are some other big-margin victories in the UCL Quarter Finals that are special: 

Winning Teams	Opponents	Scorelines	Season
Bayern Munich	FC Porto	6-1	2014-15
FC Barcelona	Shakhtar Donetsk	5-1	2010-11
Real Madrid	Tottenham Hotspur	4-0	2010-11
FC Barcelona	Bayern Munich	4-0	2008-09

Biggest Single-match victories in the Semi-finals

The UEFA Champions League Semifinal clashes have always been the finals before the final. For fact, more than the finals, it is the final-four battles, that made the fans gasp in shock, excitement and heartbreaks. Here in the following, we look back at some of the biggest single-match victories in UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

1. Real Madrid 4-0 Bayern Munich | 2013-14 

Real Madrid created history by defeating Bayern Munich by 4-0 in the second leg of the Champions League Semifinal in Allianz Arena in the 2013-14 season. Sergio Ramos scored two goals in a span of only 5 minutes, giving Real Madrid a lead of 2-0 within first 20 minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo then scored a brace as well and Real Madrid registered an iconic away win. Following this victory, Real Madrid won their 10th UCL that season.

Read Also | Top 5 Defenders with the Most Champions League goals 

2. Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid | 2022-23

Manchester City defeated Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Semi-finals at Etihad, by 4-0 to enter what would be their greatest night in the club's history. Bernardo Silva scored an exquisite brace for City in the first half.

Followed by that, Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez scored one each to lead Man City into the Final. City went on to win their maiden UCL trophy that season.

Biggest wins in the Champions League Finals

AC Milan 4-0 FC Barcelona। 1993-94

AC Milan defeated FC Barcelona by 4-0 in the 1993-94 UEFA Champions League Final, to register the biggest win in Champions League final. Daniele Massaro scored a brace for Milan, followed by Dejan Savićević's strike in the 47th minute and Marcel Desailly's goal in the 58th minute.

These are some of the biggest wins in the modern era of the UEFA Champions League that started in 1992, excluding the European Cup history.