What has been going on in LALIGA in the last week? Here are 10 of the top stories, from Isco’s move to Real Betis to David Silva’s retirement. From LaLiga EA Sports.
The final week of July was a very busy one for clubs across La Liga EA Sports, with several more transfers being completed over the past seven days. The most eye-catching ones are discussed below, as are a pair of emotional retirements.
Fermin Lopez is the star of the show as Barca defeat Real Madrid
FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have both travelled to the USA for their pre-season tours this summer and the two La Liga giants met in Texas on Saturday, a warm-up game which Barca won 3-0. After Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring, the star of the show was 20-year-old academy graduate Fermin Lopez, who scored a long-range second and then assisted Ferran Torres for the third.
Jude Bellingham impresses Real Madrid fans
Real Madrid may have lost their clash with Barca, but they won their other two pre-season friendlies in the USA by overcoming AC Milan and Manchester United. Without a doubt, the star of Los Blancos’ summer tour has been new signing Jude Bellingham, as the Englishman has caught the eye with his performances as the attacking tip of a new diamond formation, even opening the scoring in the win over Manchester United.
Real Betis continue with their busy summer of signings
The entrance at the Estadio Benito Villamarin has been very busy this summer and that remained the case this past week, as Real Betis completed several transfers. Former player Marc Bartra has returned to Los Verdiblancos, while other FC Barcelona academy graduates Alex Collado and Chadi Riad have also joined. On top of that, Isco has been brought in as a star signing, reuniting with his former coach Manuel Pellegrini.
Sorloth is staying in La Liga, but with Villarreal
Alexander Sorloth was one of the top strikers in La Liga last season, hitting 12 goals for Real Sociedad to finish the campaign as the joint-10th-best scorer in the competition. The Norwegian was on loan from RB Leipzig and has now returned to Spain on a permanent transfer, but to join a different club. Villarreal have won the race for the in-demand centre-forward, meaning he’ll be wearing yellow in 2023/24.
Excitement at Cadiz CF over Lucas Pires
Cadiz further strengthened their defence this week by bringing in Lucas Pires from Brazilian side Santos. The left-back, known for his excellent crossing, earned regular minutes with the South American giants last term and will now test himself in European football for the first time, doing so at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla.
Munir makes the move to UD Las Palmas
Newly promoted UD Las Palmas have been adding exciting pieces this summer as they prepare for their return to the top flight, and the island club have signed Munir El Haddadi to add attacking flair and experience to their ranks. The 27-year-old already has over 200 La Liga appearances to his name.
Samuel Lino shows he can contribute for Atletico Madrid
After a successful campaign on a personal level last year when out on loan at Valencia, Samuel Lino is now aiming to earn himself a spot in Diego Simeone’s plans at Atletico Madrid. After returning to his parent club, the Brazilian winger has been doing well in pre-season and was very impressive in his team’s friendly against a K-League XI.
David Silva announces his retirement
A legend of Spanish football officially retired this past week. David Silva posted an emotional farewell message after an incredible career in which he won so much silverware at club level, as well as forming part of the dominant Spanish national team that won three trophies in a row between 2008 and 2012. The playmaker also helped Real Sociedad secure a return to the Champions League with his displays in 2022/23, the last of his career.
Jorge Molina hangs up his boots too
Another player to officially retire this past week was Jorge Molina, who produced an incredible two-decade career in Spanish football, representing clubs such as Real Betis, Getafe and Granada as he made 488 appearances across La Liga and Segunda.
The pre-season preparations continue
With July about to become August, Spanish clubs are continuing their pre-season preparations and many have been taking on opponents from other leagues, achieving some impressive results. For example, Atletico Madrid overcame European champions Manchester City 2-1, while Celta Vigo defeated Lyon 1-0 and Girona won 2-0 against Sheffield United.
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