Real Madrid’s opponents send list of player shirts they want after Copa del Rey clash, Jude Bellingham misses top spot in terms of demand
Real Madrid's Copa del Rey Round of 32 opponents Arandina CF reportedly sent the Spanish giants a list of jerseys they want after their clash on Saturday, January 6.
Arandina currently play in the fourth tier of the Spanish football system. They caused a big upset in the second round of the Copa del Rey this season, beating Cadiz 2-1. This saw them draw footballing royalty Real Madrid in the third round.
Arandina players and everyone involved with the club celebrated the matchup, more so as they welcomed Los Blancos at their El Montecillo Stadium. As per Marca (via Sport Bible), the club's players also sent a list to the Merengues for the individual jerseys they wanted.
The list saw the highest demand for Luka Modric's jersey, with nine Arandina players wanting the Croatian legend's shirt. Rodrygo Goes and Toni Kroos got demands from two players each.
Meanwhile, three players asked for Jude Bellingham's shirt despite the Englishman's stunning start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu. The midfielder has registered 17 goals and five assists in 22 games since joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund for reportedly €103 million last summer.
Arandina captain Jorge Gonzalez also opened up about the shirt exchange before the game, saying:
"In the locker room I proposed the idea of trying to get as many shirts as possible because at the end of the day everyone is going to want the same shirt.
"And I think the beauty of this match is having a memory. If Madrid can provide us with more t-shirts, welcome."
Los Blancos won the clash 3-1 on Saturday, with Joselu (54'), Brahim Diaz (55') and Rodrygo (90+1') scoring for them. Nacho Fernandez scored an own goal in the 90+3rd minute.
Carlo Ancelotti on Real Madrid being favorites for Supercopa de Espana
Following their Copa del Rey third-round win over Arandina, Real Madrid will now turn their attention to Supercopa de Espana. They will face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals at the Al-Awwal Park on Wednesday, January 10.
Los Blancos are arguably the favorites to win the tournament due to their form this season. They lead the La Liga table and also won all six games in their UEFA Champions League group.
When asked about the same, Carlo Ancelotti said after the Arandina win (via Managing Madrid):
“I don’t know about favourites. It’s a short competition. We are close to winning it, but it is also short for the rest. We are confident."
Barcelona and Osasuna will compete in the second semi-final in the Supercopa de Espana on Thursday. The final will be played on Sunday, January 14.
Barca won the trophy last season, beating Real Madrid in the final.