Carrick delivers near six-minute monologue defending United; Dortmund take on the influencers: football – live

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Álvaro Arbeloa’s been talking ahead of Fulham’s trip to Coventry on Saturday, and buoyed up by last weekend’s much needed win over Hull. “Nothing has changed for us,” insisted the manager, “we were not winning games but we believed in ourselves, we were doing so many things well,

“The most important thing [about the Hull win] is we were in same situation against Manchester United and Ipswich but didn’t win but now we had to improve in our transition and did. We controlled the ball in their half better than before.”

As the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry faded, though, so too did the clásico’s relevance. This isn’t to say matches between Barcelona and Real Madrid no longer matter. They always have and always will. In 2026, however, it’s difficult to measure a clásico’s standing. Is it still the sport’s biggest fixture?

Sunday’s match at Camp Nou will be watched by hundreds of millions of viewers all over the world. A clásico always carries significance, but this weekend’s edition will be especially significant. A Barça win would move them nine points clear of their rivals at the top of La Liga. A Real Madrid victory could be a catalyst for the rest of their season.

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