Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts PARA ACABARAnd that concludes this week's Q&A with Spanish football expert Guillem Balague. Thanks for sending your questions in, we hope you got the answers you were looking for!Before you go, here's a reminder that you can watch every kick from El Clasico - Real Madrid v Barcelona - live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm this Sunday.We hope you can join us for that game, and for next week's Q&A. Until then, hasta luego!
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS"Mostly indifference and resignation as Granada has looked doomed for a while. He is already talking about next season (he just mentioned that 40 per cent of the squad is there and that there will be a Spanish coach next). On Reo-Coker and Richardson, he was thinking of registering them and Granada could have, but it was decided it is too late in the season for them to make any kind of impact."
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS"Barcelona decided to ignore the midfield and give most goal and offensive responsibility to the front three. Now they have not scored in three of the last four key games. But it will be unfair to blame ndividuals. We have said for a while that Barcelona has lost coats of paint, they have been becoming more predictable and that affects the players, especially the more talented. Even Messi seems lost, trying to do too much. They need a new impetus. Valverde has told Athletic that he is leaving, so now Barcelona will have to convince him that he can lead the team in this period of change. Unzue, meanwhile, has lost the confidence of some with the last performances of the side."
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS"Firstly, we confirmed in AS that Liverpool tabled a €50m offer for Asensio. The answer was simple from Real Madrid - he is not for sale. He is worth that BECAUSE he will be worth more in the future. But Isco is ahead of him for experience and because he can be a forward and a midfielder (he is improving in the game management), while Asensio is mostly a forward. But as an Espanyol fan, I am a great admirer of him, he gave us a good year of football and there is much more to come from him. He will be a great."
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS"Zidane does not want to start him, but Bale is pushing to change his mind. Zidane has left players out when they are not 100 per cent, that is an unbreakable rule. But Bale wants to be available. He trained OK, he has no tear (so he told me after the Bayern game) so if Zidane leaves him out or more likely on the bench, it will be mostly for precaution. If he doesn;t make it, Isco is there to replace him."
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS"One of the wonderful things that Zidane has done this season is to make everybody believe they are part of what is happening. The second string are very switched on and have been the ones who have carried the team in the league. Now that we are getting to the end of the season, there is nobody that wants to miss it, they are all up for it, including Bale who has trained with the side but is not 100 per cent. So, no, I don't think it will affect the title race."
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS"Polls in Madrid a newspaper suggested Atletico fans wanted a semi-final with Real Madrid, not a final. They know Real will always give you a chance and Atletico, after Simeone signed his new shortened contract, reverted to be solid and not risking a lot. Atletico are more balanced team than Real Madrid. What I mean by that is that they give you less opportunities to beat them, but Real have got the confidence, power up front and a new Ronaldo, enough to beat anyone. They walk into the pitch thinking they can. Atletico were hurt by the two finals lost. But this is so balanced that any mistake, any moment of inspiration, all the small details will count. I cannot wait for this tie!"
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS"Think of Bielsa's Athletic Bilbao and you get close to what Celta is. They man mark all over the pitch, they run more than anybody, They have pace up front and goals with Iago Aspas, one every two games, they take risks, they want the ball. Their weakness is at the back but there is no perfect team in this Europa League semi-finals, including Manchester United. A good friend in the Football department at Sky just asked me if Celta have got any chance. What? Really? I hope everybody thinks that way and leave Celta as underdogs. They are more than capable to going to the final."
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS"Let's start with Lewandowski. I wrote the story in AS this morning and it goes like this. After the Champions League quarter-final, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos chatted to the Bayern striker - it was reported that he walked into the referee's office but that is not true. They both told him of their admiration for him and asked him to join Real Madrid and told him there was space for him at the Bernabeu. Lewandowski is a huge Real Madrid fan (his sister gave him a Real Madrid shirt as a gift in December 2015) and it's a dream of his to play for the club. That, in a nutshell, is the story. Not only have Real Madrid denied it, they insist it is a typical post-match chat. It's worth noting that this does not mean Real will move for Lewandowski, who is the best-paid player in the Bundesliga and a player Bayern do not want to lose. But as a conversation, that was certainly an interesting one."
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts GUILLEM IS IN THE BUILDING! The man you’ve all been waiting to speak to is here and, before we get underway, he has an update on the future of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski....
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts HEAVYWEIGHT WEEK ON SKY SPORTSAll eyes will be on the Bernabeu on Sunday as Real Madrid and Barcelona renew their historic rivalry. You can watch every kick live on Sky Sports, as well as all of this in what’s set to be a heavyweight week of action...
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts LEWANDOWSKI TOLD TO JOIN REAL?Reports surfacing in Spain claim Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo have tried to persuade Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski to join Real Madrid this summer.The Madrid pair are believed to have collared the Poland international after Real’s dramatic Champions League quarter-final victory over the Bundesliga club on Wednesday.But is there any truth in the story, and could Lewandowski be on his way to the Bernabeu? Send your questions in to Guillem for the inside line...
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts UNITED DRAW CELTA IN EUROPAAnd, following on from the Champions League draw at midday, Manchester United have just been paired with Celta Vigo in the Europa League semi-finals.It’s a good job we’ve got a Spanish football expert in the house to give the lowdown on the only obstacle standing in front of Jose Mourinho’s men on the road to Stockholm.
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts REAL DRAW ATLETI IN SEMI-FINALSEuropean champions Real Madrid will take on city-rivals Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.The draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon means the Madrid rivals cannot contest a third final in four years after Real's victories in 2014 and 2016.Instead, Zinedine Zidane and Diego Simeone will do battle in the last four, with the first-leg at the Bernabeu and the second across town at the Vicente Calderon.But how has the draw been received in Spain? And who’s happier – Real or Atleti? Get your questions in...
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts #ASKGUILLEMThere’s only one way you can get your questions in Guillem Balague and that’s by tweeting @SkyFootball or @revistadelaliga using the hashtag #AskGuillem. We’re due to get underway 1pm, so there’s plenty of time to get yours in!
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts HOLA AMIGOS!Good afternoon Spanish football friends and welcome to GuillemBalague’s weekly Q&A!Over the next hour, Sky Sports’ Spanish football expert will tackle your questions ahead of Sunday’s eagerly-anticipated El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona.There’s also the mouth-watering prospect of a Madrid derby in the Champions League semi-finals and Manchester United’s clash with Celta Vigo in the Europa League semis.Be sure to stay tuned and get involved! We look forward to hearing from you!
Jack Wilkinson moderator 5pts Guillem Balague Q&A (1pm)Madrid derby in CL semisUnited draw Celta in EuropaEl Clasico analysedTweet using #AskGuillem
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