Both Barcelona and Real Madrid won at the weekend, the Catalans scoring a solitary goal at home to defeat Levante, while at the Santiago Bernabéu the hosts put three past Real Betis. Neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi – who missed the match through injury – got on the scoresheet. Both sides barely got out of first gear and no one seemed to care because in truth, Jornada 32 for the big two was merely a formality. The 2012/13 La Liga season, which doesn’t end until June, was effectively won by the New Year as champions-elect FC Barcelona opened up a huge gap at the top. Madrid meanwhile, have spent most of the season in third place and only recently overtook city rivals Atlético … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barça and Real Madrid warm up for European showdowns
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La Liga: Despondent Benzema searches for form
Last week, Karim Benzema was booed by the home crowd as he departed the Stade de France during a World Cup qualifier against Spain. It was not the first time this season he has been heckled by his own fans. Whilst the same has not yet occurred at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Frenchman is struggling to score, with every passing week and every goalless game sending his confidence plummeting. Brought in to the club by President Florentino Pérez, who flew to Lyon to personally secure his signing in 2009, Benzema’s trajectory at Real Madrid has been up and down to say the least, going from a cat to a lion and perhaps now back to the cat again. It was coach José Mourinho who, in his first … [Read more...] about La Liga: Despondent Benzema searches for form
La Liga: Double defeat of Barça leaves Real Madrid dreaming of glory
With two games against Barcelona and then Manchester United to contend with in the Champions League, it was widely said to be a season-defining week for Real Madrid and José Mourinho. In what has been a poor season for them so far, trailing the Catalans by a huge gap in the league, Los Merengues were well aware that their season could spectacularly implode and be over by the beginning of March. The record-breaking team that won la liga with 100 points last year threw away their title aspirations this year before Christmas and as the Champions League and Copa del Rey draw was made, it was apparent that the outcome of their season would rest on the outcome of a Clásico, or rather, … [Read more...] about La Liga: Double defeat of Barça leaves Real Madrid dreaming of glory
La Liga: Real Sociedad inflict Barça’s first loss of season
A strange thing happened at the weekend - something not witnessed at all during the 2012/13 season so far. Having drawn with Málaga in the Copa del Rey in midweek, FC Barcelona finally lost a liga game after 19 jornadas unbeaten. Tito Vilanova’s men were looking pretty much unstoppable having torn apart almost every team they have come up against, but Real Sociedad were to inflict the Catalans’ first liga defeat, coming from two goals down to claim a last-minute 3-2 victory over the league leaders. It had seemed to be business as usual for Barça, who took the lead early on with a Lionel Messi goal. The Argentine scored for a record 10th game in a row when he struck after just seven … [Read more...] about La Liga: Real Sociedad inflict Barça’s first loss of season
La Liga: Messi’s Ballon d’Or highlights gulf dividing Barça and Real
As liga action resumed after a short break for Christmas, it seemed not much had changed in Spanish football. Barcelona continued their winning run and got their manager Tito Vilanova back following surgery after his cancer was found to have returned, José Mourinho was still stirring the pot at Real Madrid by continuing to leave Iker Casillas on the bench, Fernando Llorente still wants out of Athletic Bilbao and Lionel Messi once again stood in Cristiano Ronaldo’s way to take the FIFA Ballon d’Or. The Argentine was awarded the prize for the fourth consecutive time in Zurich on Monday night, beating teammate Andrés Iniesta and the Portuguese forward to the prestigious honour in a year when … [Read more...] about La Liga: Messi’s Ballon d’Or highlights gulf dividing Barça and Real
La Liga: Barça win again as Messi is crowned king
On Wednesday night the Camp Nou was silenced. It was the worst sight for Los Culés, Lionel Messi, who had no need to be on the pitch with his FC Barcelona side having already qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League, was stretchered off in considerable pain. It was meant to be a night of celebration, a night when the Argentine would set an incredible new record but it ended on a sour note. Many feared it could be a long-term injury to his knee with even the man himself admitting: "I thought it was the last shot I was going to have for a long time…for a moment I thought the worst." but he was back on the pitch at the Benito Villamarín stadium on Sunday night, fit and … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barça win again as Messi is crowned king
La Liga: Espanyol’s Pochettino falls on his sword
It took a little longer than normal for la liga. While several men have been touted for the chop – notably Marcelo Bielsa and Mauricio Pellegrino – jornada 13 provided one loss too many for RCD Espanyol, and in late November, the managerial axe finally fell for the first time this season. Mauricio Pochettino, who had been the longest-serving coach in la liga after three years at Espanyol, took over in late January 2009 when the Barcelona-based side were third from bottom; his only task was to save them from relegation. But the Argentinean, who had plied his trade for his national side, Espanyol, Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux as a central defender, did more than that, giving … [Read more...] about La Liga: Espanyol’s Pochettino falls on his sword
La Liga: Barça rewrite history books under Vilanova
Tito Vilanova was at it again at the weekend. Having spent several years as Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man it must be fairly routine for him now, but his Barcelona side’s 3-1 victory over Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou saw him write yet another page in the history books. The Catalans, who remain unbeaten, equalled the record for the most points after 10 games in La Liga, earning 28 points out of a possible 30 and matching the record set by their rivals Real Madrid. Three goals in the space of five minutes brought the game to life, with the opener coming from a Pedro cross from the right for Adriano to slot home after just 20 minutes. The visitors’ reply was immediate and with Barça … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barça rewrite history books under Vilanova
La Liga: Mallorca defeat completes sorry week for Valencia
It has been a rather depressing week for Valencia. It began with a loss in their Champions League game, it continued when their new stadium plans were abruptly put on hold due to financial problems and finally, a sorry defeat to Mallorca at the weekend leaves Los Che with just a single victory in six competitive games. At Mallorca’s Iberostar stadium Victor Casadesús fired the hosts into the lead just seven minutes into the game when he squeezed his shot under Diego Alves. The visitors enjoyed more of the ball for the remainder of the first half and were unlucky not to level the score when Nelson Valdez's header came crashing back off the bar. Despite the continual pressure from … [Read more...] about La Liga: Mallorca defeat completes sorry week for Valencia
The Pep Paradox
August 2016: The newly-proclaimed state of Catalonia has separated completely from Spain, whose flags no longer fly anywhere in the city of Barcelona except on the flagstaff of the Spanish Embassy. The sports press is full of news about the recent “friendly” international between the Catalan and Spanish national teams, the first in history, which despite a few ugly incidents outside the stadium passed off without a hitch. A goalless draw was seen by many as a fitting result to symbolise the relations between Spain and the nascent Catalan Republic. And of course the main story for sportswriters, as always, is FC Barcelona – Barça – as they prepare for a new season… playing against Real … [Read more...] about The Pep Paradox