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Exclusive – As one of the finest strikers the Premier League has seen, if anyone is going to offer Mason Greenwood advice on how to manage his career, then Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke is among them.

Netting 65 goals in 152 appearances for the Red Devils, the Trinidadian striker is well versed in the art of scoring.

The 48-year-old sat down with 90min to discuss a variety of topics regarding his former side, including what sort of character Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is, where United need to improve and how he keeps in such incredible physical condition.

“I have to be honest, I couldn’t be bothered to watch United for a number of years, I kind of switched off,” Yorke confessed. “In recent times, though, since the lockdown, my love for football has come back again as seeing United do what they’re doing has filled me with more excitement.”

One of the main reasons for that heightened enthusiasm is the emergence of Greenwood, whose 15 goals for the season have catapulted him into the limelight in a breakthrough campaign. Yorke couldn’t hide his admiration for the Englishman, but offered some timely advice about how to stay grounded.

“At 18, to be in the starting lineup for Manchester United is like a dream come true,” he said. “You pinch yourself every morning. You’ve seen Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney make that progress and Mason Greenwood is no different.

“He needs to keep his feet on the ground and continue to do what he’s doing because at 18, what are you supposed to tell a kid? You don’t want to give him too much information, you just want to let him enjoy himself.

“We knew he was a gem but we’re surprised with the leap he’s made in such a short space of time.

“Ole is the most level-headed footballer I’ve ever come across, so he [Greenwood] has the right person and the right management. It’s up to the manager now to protect him and let him enjoy his football.”

Having touched on his former teammate, Yorke elaborated on what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can offer United, insisting that he isn’t not the confrontational type, but that he’s invested well so far and got the Red Devils playing an exciting brand of football.

“He’s never been one for confrontation, he doesn’t like that kind of stuff, unless he’s changed recently. When we were playing he was never a big personality in our dressing room, he didn’t have much say in the dressing room so to speak. He just got on with his job which he was very good at.

“He’s been given a great opportunity to be at the club, he’s in a unique position. Ultimately as a manager, he will be judged on what he’s won and what he’s done at the club. At the moment he’s seemed to have turned things around. He’s bought well in Bruno Fernandes, who has been a revelation, and he’s got everyone playing the attacking style of football.”

Heading into the summer window, movement is expected to take place at Old Trafford before the new season, and Yorke claimed his former side should be looking to bring in up to three players – including Jadon Sancho.

“I would buy possibly two or three more players,” he said. “I’d go for a centre-half alongside Harry Maguire, I think that’s important, although Victor Lindelof has done reasonably well I think. Another midfielder, if possible, behind the likes of Bruno. Although, Nemanja Matic has been great since he’s come back. So that’s a new player in itself!

“Fred initially struggled but he now looks much better, while Scott McTominay still has some development to do. You want competition among yourselves everyday. You need to get the players competing against each other. If I was Ole right now, that’s what I’d try to recreate. Bring in Jadon Sancho, young players with pace.”

One thing that is noticeable talking to Yorke is his imposing frame. Just as during his playing days, he looks as fit as ever. Confessing that working out is ‘in his DNA’, he reveals he trains every day to keep in such good shape.

He finished: “I set the benchmark for everybody when they see me. I’ve always been that way, I go to training every morning, which for me, is going to the gym. It’s in my DNA. If I don’t got to the gym in the morning I’ll go in the afternoon. I don’t get out of bed at six in the morning or anything like that, though!”

Sergio Ramos scored his fourth goal in six games as Real Madrid edged Getafe 1-0 to stay in pole position in the La Liga title race.

The Spanish striker – sorry, ‘centre back’ – converted a penalty in his 450th La Liga match for Real late in the second half after Getafe’s Mathias Olivera brought down Dani Carvajal with a stray leg.

Ramos has proved pivotal in Real’s title charge since the resumption of play, looking excellent at the back alongside Raphael Varane – who had to be replaced by Eder Militao early on after taking a whack to the head – while also popping up with vital contributions in the attacking third.

Zinedine Zidane made two changes from the side that beat Espanyol last time out, with Ferland Mendy swapping in for Marcelo and Vinicius Junior replacing Eden Hazard – who was not included in the matchday squad.

Getafe, who have Champions League qualification aspirations of their own, started brightly with Olivera heading straight at Thibaut Courtois before Xabier Etxeita forced another scrambling save from the Belgium international.

It took Real roughly 25 minutes to muster up their first chance, with Vinicius forcing a stop from David Soria with a low drive.

Striker Karim Benzema, who has been in terrific form since football’s hiatus ended, had an unusually quiet game up front, while Wales international Gareth Bale was an unused substitute.

The result sends Los Blancos four points clear at the top of La Liga as Zidane and his side search for their first domestic league title since the 2016/17 season.

Next up for Real is a trip to Europa League qualification contenders Athletic Club on Sunday, with title rivals Barça in action against Villarreal later that evening.

For more from Jude Summerfield, follow him on Twitter!

Chelsea have not messed about. Wanting to make up for lost time (y’know, that transfer ban stuff) they’ve dipped their golden fingers into the market twice already with the big-money additions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

Around 83 million pounds sterling worth, to be slightly more specific.

With those additions, the key question to emerge is just how Frank Lampard is going to squeeze them into his starting lineup without heavily disrupting the status quo.

Whatever way that happens, someone isn’t going to be best pleased. Yet one player who shouldn’t be ousted from this Chelsea side in favour of any new, or old, signings is Christian Pulisic.

It was anything but the smoothest welcome into the Premier League for the American, who either failed to make Lampard’s squad entirely or who was beset with injuries at the beginning of the campaign.

The odd appearance followed, but earning himself a regular berth proved to be a bit of a struggle. However, he’s kept fighting, continued banging on his manager’s door and when given the opportunity, has done his talking on the pitch.

Since the restart he’s scored twice in two Premier League outings, ensuring he kept his spot in the team following the win over Manchester City for the Blues’ trip to West Ham.

Out in that wide left position is where he appears most comfortable, which shows in his performances. Having been experimentally thrusts into the middle and down the right, it’s on the left where his best qualities shine through.

Willing to get on his skates at every opportunity, he makes darting runs, dummy runs, inside runs, overlapping runs, underlapping runs, tracking runs….yeah, you get the picture.

With such tidy close control he can weave his way through the smallest of gaps, while his capabilities with either foot makes him tough to read in one-on-one situations. Just ask Issa Diop, who couldn’t deal with his pace and quick feet and clumsily brought him down for the penalty.

Given the experience he’s had already while still only 21 years of age, the space for growth in this Chelsea side is immeasurable. When the going got tough for Chelsea shortly after half time, if anyone was going to drag them back into the game then it was Pulisic – even if it didn’t materialise.

In and around the 18-yard box he was a menace, drifting away from his markers and pulling defenders out of position. In a nutshell, he was pretty darn good.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise given his exploits over in Germany, but it’s something else in Germany that could be cause for concern to Pulisic: Werner.

While a striker by trade, there are suggestions that Werner could be fielded on the left of the front three to accommodate Tammy Abraham as the centre forward. As you’ll have noticed, that means in place of Pulisic.

This should not be the case. Granted, Werner cost a hefty sum and will likely have been assured of a starting berth in order to join, but then play him down the middle. Lampard mustn’t sacrifice Pulisic in whichever setup he goes for, at least not on current form, and even more so to not risk stunting his progression.

The American will only get better – a frightening thought for opposition defences – and when you look at Chelsea’s showing against the Hammers, his teammates know that too. Struggling to match their attacking play with their defensive output, when knocking on the Hammers’ door it was Pulisic who the Blues players tried to get the ball to.

After that performance the issues are clearly (seriously, so clearly in defence), but Pulisic’s quality is clear, his teammates evidently are aware of that, so Lampard must be too.

But with money blurring his vision, he can’t lose sight of the present.

Barcelona fell further behind in the La Liga title race as Atletico Madrid twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou.

The stalemate many foreshadowed beforehand was swiftly dashed after Diego Costa deflected Lionel Messi’s inswinging corner into his own net after 11 minutes. Atletico had started brightly though, and they were rewarded with a quick equaliser from the penalty spot after Yannick Carrasco breezed past Gerard Pique down the left hand side before being tripped in the area by Arturo Vidal.

Diego Costa stepped up and saw his effort saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, only for the German to be penalised for moving of his line too soon. Saul Niguez then stepped up, and he coolly slotted home.

The hosts re-took the lead early on in the second period as Messi made the most of a soft penalty award- given for a foul on Nelson Semedo – to score his 700th career goal. Inevitably, he did in truly sensational fashion – sitting down Jan Oblak, regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, with a cheeky Panenka.

But Semedo switched from hero to villain in an instant as he clipped Carrasco in the area to gift Atletico another penalty, with Saul converting once more. An entertaining end to the contest ensued as both sides pushed for a winner, ultimately having to settle for a share of the spoils.

Key Talking Point

To date, Quique Setien had used both a 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 formation since succeeding Ernesto Valverde in the Barcelona hot seat. On this occasion, and under considerable pressure, he opted to shake things up, deploying a midfield diamond instead.

The result? Mixed success.

While Barça were able to overload the middle of the park, counter-press fiercely and combine effectively at times – spearheaded by the superb Riqui Puig – the flaws in this Barcelona side were still laid bare.

Their lack of threat in-behind allowed the visitors to squeeze higher up the pitch and reduce the space between the lines – although Puig dealt with this very well – while their lack of central compactness meant they were hopelessly exposed in defensive transition, like we saw against Celta at the weekend.

The eagerness of Semedo to create width in the attacking third meant Simeone’s side exploited the void down the right-back’s flank with ease. We saw it for the first goal with Pique being forced to cover more space due to the Portuguese’s ventures forward. Setien has to find a balance of creating a sustainable source of width without compromising the defence – of course, it’ll be a little more tricky in a narrow diamond.

Overall, however, this was a fine performance from the hosts against confident opposition, but it’s hard to envisage Setien’s side beating Real Madrid to the title with all the flaws in this poorly assembled squad.

Starting XI: Ter Stegen (6); Semedo (5), Pique (5), Lenglet (8), Alba (6); Busquets (7); Rakitic (6), Vidal (6); Puiq (8*); Messi (6), Suarez (5).

Subs: Roberto (6), Fati (6), Griezmann (N/A)

If there’s been a bright spark amid a pretty tumultuous time for the Catalans as of late, it’s Riqui Puig.

With his supreme ball-manipulation and capacity to wriggle out of tight spaces at a canter, Puig had no problems escaping the high volume of bodies in central areas – often retaining possession superbly.

He offered thrust in transition at times for a side that have proven inept on the counter, while his energy and tenacity proved key in Setien’s effective counter-press. It was a fantastic display from the young Spaniard, a showing which should leave Barcelona fans with a small bit of optimism despite their faltering title charge.

Key Talking Point

Fresh off the back of four victories on the bounce, it was refreshing to see an enterprising Atleti side rock up at Camp Nou on Tuesday night.

Barça’s lack of a threat in behind allowed Diego Simeone to deploy a more aggressive defensive line and although they were typically compact throughout, they were also able to progress through the thirds efficiently.

There was minimal emphasis on the long ball up to Costa and instead, Simeone allowed greater scope for Atleti’s creators to have the ball at their feet. As a result, the visitors were able to pick Barça apart at times on the counter.

The result of the visitors’ more relaxed approach, if you will, was an entertaining, end-to-end contest which could’ve gone either way in the end.

Starting XI: Oblak (6); Arias (6), Gimenez (6), Felipe (6), Lodi (6); Correa (6), Partey (8), Saul (7), Carrasco (8*), Llorente (6), Costa (5).

Subs: Felix (6), Morata (6), Vitolo (N/A, Lemar (N/A)

In what was an exuberant Atleti display, Carrasco served as the protagonist.

Deployed on the left flank, the Belgian was the man to add thrust to the visitors’ transitions, with his directness causing Barça’s defence problems when he drifted in-field. His work to win Atleti’s first spot-kick of the night was simply majestic, while his burst of acceleration was enough to see Semedo accidentally clip the Belgian’s heel for their second.

And, of course, like any typical Simeone winger, he carried out his defensive duties astutely against a surging Semedo and floating Messi.

Next up, Barcelona face a tricky test away at Villarreal on Sunday before hosting Espanyol in the
Derbi Barceloní. Atletico, meanwhile, face lowly Mallorca and Celta Vigo in their next two encounters as they look to wrap up Champions League qualification for next season.

Only winning La Liga or the Champions League will save Quique Setien’s job at Barcelona, amid reports of a growing rift between the players and coaching staff at Camp Nou.

61-year-old head coach Setien signed on as head coach in January, following Ernesto Valverde’s dismissal. While Valverde’s was an equally divisive figure at Barcelona, he did leave with the club top of the table, having delivered consecutive league titles. Setien’s Barça are now two points behind Real Madrid in the title race, have drawn two of their last three, as well as losing the Clasico shortly before the hiatus.

Marca reports that following the most recent slip-up – the 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo at Balaidos on Saturday – there was a ‘tense discussion’ between the players and coach in the away dressing room.

It is said that some players ‘reproached’ Setien for his tactical decisions, while there is a supposed lack of faith in the manager’s ability to deliver trophies.

Goal, meanwhile, report that Setien – who was handed a two-and-a-half-year contract in January – will inevitably lose his job this summer, unless there is a ‘significant upswing’ in results, with catching Real Madrid or lifting the Champions League the only real routes to earning a stay of the execution.

The worry is that, with performances mixed, this could be the first trophy-less season for Barcelona since 2007/08.

Goal’s report specifically notes the rampant player power at Barcelona, with key stars turning the dressing room against the coach’s methods, while assistant manager Eder Sarabia remains a ‘very a unpopular figure’. Viral footage even appeared to show Lionel Messi walking away from a group huddle as Sarabia approaches to give instructions during a water break.

Setien was quick to play down the caught-on-camera incident after the game, however.

“In reality, it is true that there are always controversies, as in life, and it is normal that there are differences,” the Barça coach said, via AS.

“But this has always happened. I was not an easy player either. What we have to try to do is to convince everyone of the common idea.

“I understand it as something natural. There is good communication. I don’t give it any importance.”

Setien was, famously, not Barcelona’s first choice in January, with club legends Ronald Koeman and Xavi Hernandez both approached before the ex-Real Betis manager.

To add more pressure onto Setien, Xavi has confirmed to the press that he is already ‘preparing’ to return to Camp Nou in the near future.

Inter came from behind late on to beat Parma 2-1 on Sunday night, just about keeping their faint Scudetto hopes alive.

A disjointed first-half performance from Inter saw the hosts take full advantage, as former Arsenal man Gervinho gave Parma the lead 15 minutes in after some crafty footwork sat Antonio Candreva down.

Andreas Cornelius – fresh off the back of his hat-trick at Genoa last time out – meanwhile, spurned several glorious opportunities in the opening period, as Inter struggled to deal with Parma’s dynamic but well-balanced front three throughout.

A fast start was required by the visitors after the break and although their performance levels certainly improved, they were kept at bay by a resolute Parma backline while the hosts continued to threaten on the break.

However, just as it appeared the Gialloblu would comfortably hold on to their lead, Inter struck twice in the final ten minutes to snatch victory. The ever-impressive Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni scored either side of Juraj Kucka’s dismissal to hand the Nerazzurri a mightily important three points.

Starting XI: Pepe (6); Laurini (6), Dermaku (8), Alves (7), Gagliolo (6); Kucka (5), Scozzarella (7), Kurtic (7); Kulusevski (8), Cornelius (6), Gervinho (8).

Subs: Pezzella (6), Hernani (5), Regini (6), Darmian (N/A), Brugman (N/A).

Key Talking Point

No Marcelo Brozovic. No Milan Skriniar. Antonio Conte suspended. Inter’s trip to Parma was always going to be a difficult one – a ground they’ve won at just five times in their last 25 visits no less – and that’s exactly how it proved on Sunday night.

The Nerazzurri were nothing short of woeful for much of the contest; they were exposed in defensive transition once more without Brozovic, while their two outside centre backs struggled mightily against Gervinho and Dejan Kulusevski.

Going forward, meanwhile, Lautaro Martinez looked woefully out of sorts, Christian Eriksen was marked out the contest by Matteo Scozarella, and the wing-backs continued to be ineffective. Overall, they regularly failed to combine and penetrate a sturdy Parma backline.

But hey, it’s that Conte grinta – even if he was only watching from the stands – and their late show on Sunday night out of nowhere means they’re still in this title race with ten games to go. Just about.

Starting XI: Handanovic (6); D’Ambrosio (5), De Vrij (8*), Godin (4); Candreva (5), Barella (5), Gagliardini (5), Biraghi (5); Eriksen (5); Lautaro (4), Lukaku (5).

Subs: Alexis (7), Moses (6), Young (5), Bastoni (7), Valero (N/A).

A confident Cornelius ensured the Dutchman didn’t have the easiest of outings, but the typically superb Inter defender was by far the Nerazzurri’s best player on the night.

It was an intriguing duel with Cornelius throughout, but De Vrij’s aggression often saw him come out on top. With Inter’s back three failing to receive any sort of protection from its unathletic wing-backs and a midfield that’s easily bypassed without Brozo, De Vrij did well at times to thwart dangerous three-on-three situations with astute positioning and smart anticipation.

It didn’t help that his two centre back partners were often overwhelmed throughout either.

Nevertheless, a sound defensive display by Serie A’s finest defender was rewarded with a goal, as he headed home from Lautaro’s nod across goal. It was his strike which served as the catalyst for Bastoni’s winner soon after.

Next up for Inter is a home clash against Serie B bound Brescia on Wednesday night before they take on Bologna at San Siro on Sunday afternoon.

Parma, meanwhile, will travel to surprise package Hellas Verona on Wednesday before hosting Fiorentina at the weekend.

There’s a reason that football is widely monikered ‘the beautiful game’, and it’s due to mavericks like Francesco Totti. To many, Totti is remembered as a one-club man, a legend of the sport who gave his entire career to his beloved hometown side, AS Roma.

For others (mainly found in the darkest corners of social media), he is an overrated, overhyped wannabe who either wasn’t good enough to land a move to a bigger team, or didn’t have the bottle to venture outside of the Italian capital to taste success elsewhere.

Totti is an example of what every young boy and girl who loves football dreams of becoming: the most celebrated hero in their city. It helped Francesco then, that his city was little old Roma. In a career that spanned over 25 years, amassing more than 300 goals and almost 800 appearances, Totti managed to lift the Serie A title only once.

But the superstar has always proudly declared that one title success with Roma was worth more than 10 trophies with any other club – and if his celebrations upon scoring in the final day victory over Parma in 2001 were anything to go by, then the boy was telling the truth.

Through thick and thin, alongside star-studded squads in the early 2000s and some pretty poorly-assembled sides in the later years, he stayed loyal to the team he had supported as a child, each year aiming to deliver one final success to his followers. Luckily for Totti, just pulling on the Giallorossi shirt each week was enough to bring tears of joy to Romanista eyes.

But before all of this, before the goals, the fame, the glory, the pain, the idolisation, Francesco Totti was just a boy, who closed his eyes every night and dreamt of setting foot on the Stadio Olimpico turf.

This infinite love story almost came to an end before it had even started though, when giants Milan attempted to lure an up-and-coming Totti away from Rome and to the economic capital. But luckily for the starlet, Fiorella Totti, the protagonist of this particular story, and mother of Francesco,

politely declined their advances for her boy.

He was to become the King of Rome, after all, and she had foreseen the destiny of her young prince. And on 28 March 1993, her premonitions began to take shape. In the 87th minute of a routine 2-0 victory away at Brescia, a wiry, precocious 16-year-old took to the field for the very first time in his professional career.

Little did anyone know, but they had just witnessed the first steps of Er Bimbo de Oro. The Golden Boy.

Totti showed from an early age that technically, he was able to mix it with the very best. There was an aura that followed him around the pitch, an intelligence that others struggled to comprehend, and the dainty, majestic touch of a boy born to dazzle.

The exciting teen was only a young boy however, trying to compete with the physical and defensive expertise of a man’s game. So for the time being, we had to make do with only one more appearance during the 1992/93 campaign.

His first year in professional football wasn’t quite finished there, though. Totti was flying through the youth ranks with Italy, and he featured in both the Under-16s European Championships, and the Under-17 World Cup in the same summer of 1993.

Totti helped Gli Azzurri finish top of a group that consisted of France, Portugal and Russia, and the Italians went on to reach the final, where they would face Poland. Unfortunately, the young forward was suspended for the big match, and he was sorely missed, with their rivals picking up a 1-0 victory to lift the trophy.

But as mentioned, the forward wasn’t finished there. Totti was part of the Italy side which crashed out of the Under-17 World Cup at the group stages, although he did score an absolute screamer in a 2-1 defeat to Mexico.

Picking the ball up in the centre of the park, the magician looked up to see two opponents blocking his path to goal. In the blink of an eye, Totti had chipped a delightful pass between the hapless adversaries, and then breezed past them without hesitation.

His teammate was on the same wavelength, and clearly remembering the game plan – which probably consisted of ‘give the ball to Totti’ – he laid a pass back into the path of the number 11. Now standing bang centre of the goal, about 30 yards from the posts, Totti released a thunderbolt of a strike without even breaking stride, which curved and swerved to the keeper’s left and into the top corner.

It was the goal of a champion.

My father always told me, ‘If you find that you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.’ Luckily, that specific situation has rarely befallen this particular writer, but on that day in 1993, it was clear that young Totti had an IQ superior to everyone around him.

He was destined for bigger and better things, and there was no limit to what he could achieve in Rome and with his nation. One league title, a handful of domestic trophies, a World Cup, and the most breathtaking of careers later, a living legend now walks in our midst.

Long live the King.

Pep Guardiola has admitted that his Manchester City side are ‘so far behind’ Liverpool and their lack of ‘passion’ contributed to a meagre defence of the Premier League title.

A 2-1 defeat away to Chelsea on Thursday night confirmed the inevitable, with the Reds securing a maiden Premier League crown with a record-breaking seven matches left to play.

Sitting 23 points adrift following their Stamford Bridge loss, Guardiola’s side inability to keep up with Liverpool has provoked some insightful admissions from the Spaniard, who applauded Liverpool’s brilliance but bemoaned his side’s failings.

“Liverpool were fantastic in consistency throughout the whole season,” he said, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “We dropped points at the beginning of the season, and Liverpool didn’t drop points.

“We’ll have to recover for next season, to be more consistent, and recover the points we missed this season. That’s the reality. Two years ago we were 25 points ahead of Liverpool, and now they are this distance ahead.

“We cannot forget that we won two titles. This is incredible success for us, for the club; the last six, seven, eight years.”

In terms of why his side were so far behind Jurgen Klopp’s men, Guardiola’s stark admission that a lack of passion from his City players could have contributed to their season, before confessing the gap between the two sides is bigger than ever.

“Maybe we didn’t arrive with the same passion; Liverpool played every single game like it was the last chance they have,”, he said.

“And maybe we didn’t get that moment, especially the key moments in the first part of the season. That is the reality, that we are so far behind.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that winning the Premier League is an ‘unbelievable’ achievement, praising his ‘incredible’ players for ending the Reds’ 30-year wait for a 19th top-flight crown.

The Reds were confirmed as champions for the first time since 1990, after Chelsea defeated Manchester City 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, ending any faint hopes that Pep Guardiola’s side had of winning a third consecutive Premier League title.

Klopp’s side have been the standout team of the season, winning 28 of their 31 games played this season while playing some blistering, high-octane football. Now, with a maiden Premier League crown under his belt, the German has told Sky Sports in an emotional interview just how much it means to him to lead Liverpool to an ‘absolutely incredible’ achievement.

“I have no words. It is unbelievable, much more than I thought was possible,” Klopp began in an online interview, conducted alongside Liverpool legends Sir Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Jamie Carragher.

“Becoming champions with this club is absolutely incredible. This is for Kenny, for Stevie – everyone! The Manchester City game was really tense, I didn’t want to be involved. It was intense but it is incredible from my players. What they have done over the last few years in exceptional and it’s a pure joy for me to coach them.

“This is a big moment, I have no real words. I am completely overwhelmed. I never thought I would feel like this…”

Klopp – who’s eight predecessors in the Reds’ hot seat failed to deliver top flight glory – also insisted that it was right for players and supporters to celebrate Liverpool’s achievement as a collective, adding that he and his squad were looking to a trophy parade – at some point.

“It’s very important to celebrate because these moments are unforgettable,” Klopp added. “We have pictures from the season and now we have pictures of the celebrations and we will create pictures in the future with the parade with our supporters.

“The boys have time together tonight. It’s difficult out there still for a lot of people but tonight we couldn’t hold back, we had to come together.

“There’s a sense of relief because after the three-month interruption no one knew how the season would come back. This is for all of the fans. I hope they celebrate it, it’s all in our hearts and our heads, we do it all together and it’s a joy to do this for the fans.”

A superb free-kick from captain Sergio Ramos helped Real Madrid pick up a 2-0 victory over RCD Mallorca on Wednesday night.

The capital club started brightly, with both Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale forcing Manuel Reina to parry away their respective efforts.

But Real wouldn’t be denied for long, and Vinícius’s close range finish past the goalkeeper put the hosts in front, even after a VAR check for offside. The Brazilian was then unlucky to hit the bar as Los Blancos went very close to doubling their lead before half-time.

After the break, Los Blancos continued to hunt for a second goal, with Benzema stinging the palms of Reina with his left-foot shot. And their second goal finally came through Ramos’ free-kick, with the defender delightfully curling the ball into the top corner.

Mallorca’s best chance of the second-half fell to Ante Budimir, but his close-range header was saved by Courtois, before the hosts played out a comfortable victory to leapfrog Barcelona at the top of the league table. And there was still time for league history to be made, with Luka Romero’s late cameo making him the youngest player to ever appear in La Liga at 15 years old.

Key Talking Point

It was hugely surprising for Zinedine Zidane to choose Gareth Bale to start tonight, given that he seemed to be way down Madrid’s pecking order, even behind James Rodríguez, who was given the start for their last game.

The Welsh winger started on the right flank and showed his intent early on, by cutting inside and firing a left-footed effort that Reina parried away. But it was the closest he got to scoring, as he failed to significantly impact the game. His performance was a stark contrast to the more lively displays of his attacking teammates like Eden Hazard and Vinícius.

Having lost out to Ramos in free-kick duties, he was subbed off in the second-half, visibly frustrated in failing to deliver on his rare starting chance. And with the likes of Marco Asensio and Mariano waiting in the wings, it will certainly be seen as a missed opportunity for Bale to prove his worth to Zidane,

Starting XI: Courtois (6); Carvajal (6), Varane (6), Ramos (7), Mendy (6); Modrić (7), Valverde (6); Bale (6), Hazard (7) , Vinícius (8*); Benzema (6).

Substitutes: Kroos (6), Asensio (6), Isco (6), Brahim Díaz (N/A), Mariano (N/A).

Given his terrific form of late, it wasn’t a surprise to see Vinícius Júnior again be the standout player for Los Blancos.

His pace and superb dribbling was enough to give the Mallorca defence a torrid time, and if not for some poor finishing, he could have scored more than just the one that he got in the first-half.

With performances like this, the young Brazilian is already becoming the star of Los Blancos’ attack – a scary prospect, considering he’s just 20 years old.

Key Talking Point

Like Martin Ødegaard, Takefusa Kubo has enjoyed a productive loan spell away from the Spanish capital this season, with three goals and three assists for Mallorca. And an impressive display would certainly give the watching Zidane something to think about, as the Frenchman continues to plan for Madrid’s future.

The Japanese winger seemed unafraid of taking on the hosts’ defenders, regularly seeking to run at them whenever he had the ball. His drive and energy caught the eye often, and it is easy to see why Real were keen to have him on their books.

Despite the tough task of troubling Los Blancos’ backline, Kubo certainly had a lively game, and will have endeared himself to Zidane even further – possibly even moving himself ahead of his Norwegian counterpart in the loanees’ pecking order.

Starting XI: Reina (7); Valjent (6), Raillo (6), Sedlar (6); Pozo (6), Baba (7), Febas (6), Lago (7); Rodríguez (6), Budimir (7), Kubo (7),

Substitutes: Sevilla (6), Gamez (6), Hernández (6), Salibur (N/A), Romero (N/A).

Every time Mallorca looked to attack Los Blancos, it was Takefusa Kubo who was likely to create something for the away side.

His dribbling was impressive throughout the game, and Mallorca will certainly rely on him to continue playing well to have a chance of getting out of La Liga’s relegation zone.

Looking Ahead

Los Blancos next travel to face relegation-threatened Espanyol on Sunday, while Mallorca will be away to Athletic Club on Saturday afternoon.