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
Leo Messi
La Liga: Getafe upset leaves Real Madrid still seeking a win
El Derbi madrileño may be a forgone conclusion most years, with Atlético Madrid rolling over every time for their neighbours, but Real Madrid are always given a much tougher time by their other cross-city rivals, Getafe. Jose Mourinho’s men took to the pitch on Sunday night looking to collect three points for the first time this season. Instead they left with none. They began comfortably when Gonzalo Higuaín – who has an excellent record against El Geta – scored from close range in the 27th minute at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, but eight minutes after the break, the home side levelled when Juan Valera nodded past Iker Casillas from a free-kick. The visitors failed to capitalise on their … [Read more...] about La Liga: Getafe upset leaves Real Madrid still seeking a win
La Liga: Levante’s old guard still in the mix
As the season began way back in sunny August, there was little doubt about which teams would be competing for the title. But as the usual suspects for the Champions League places were being rounded up, no one could have imagined that one surprise package, labelled “Ugly, poor and bad at football” by their own supporters, would be in contention for a top-four finish with seven matches remaining. Villarreal, Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, and even Málaga with all their Qatari millions, are being outdone by Levante Unión Deportiva, who currently sit in fifth place, just one point behind their city rivals Valencia in fourth. What is even more astounding for a club that is more accustomed to … [Read more...] about La Liga: Levante’s old guard still in the mix
La Liga: Spain’s title race is alive…just
This week saw Barcelona claw open the door to the Liga title, which had seemingly been slammed shut by José Mourinho’s men over a month ago. Following back-to-back draws for the leaders, who dropped points against Málaga at home and Villarreal away, it was mini-crisis time at Real Madrid as the gulf that was a 10-point lead at the top of the table was cut to six, ahead of what could be a decisive game at the Camp Nou next month. Pep Guardiola continues to toe the diplomatic line, insisting the six points are still too much to make up. But even he must be overjoyed that news has turned from talk of a possible Pasillo at the home of the Catalans, to whether or not Madrid will crumble under … [Read more...] about La Liga: Spain’s title race is alive…just
La Liga: Barça slip spices up title race
The winners of the El Gordo lottery announced, turrón digested and the winter sales in full swing can only mean one thing: La Liga is back after the Christmas break. The weekend’s action failed to disappoint with a Barcelona slip-up that could prove pivotal in the title race. Following a 5-1 Real Madrid win on Saturday night against Liga new boys Granada, Barcelona travelled to Espanyol’s Cornellá-El Prat stadium for the Catalan derby on Sunday. The visitors started brightly, taking the lead in the 16th minute with a Cesc Fàbregas header, but their title hopes suffered a setback when Álvaro Vázquez scored for the home side four minutes from time with a low header. Pushing for a … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barça slip spices up title race
Why Real Madrid vs. Barcelona will be crucial, for Germany
Set your mind at ease, this article is not an early preview for the December 10 el Clásico. It has no intention whatsoever of pointing out the fact that Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are useful footballers, or that 142 percent of the world’s population will be tuning in, or indeed that the players involved have between them won every single sporting gong ever conceived. Undoubtedly, all that and much more looms inevitably on the horizon. But for the moment, hold off on decommissioning all your electronic devices and moving to Greenland. Let us instead ponder the upcoming European championships. We now know who will be there and who will not. We also have a vague idea of how they may be … [Read more...] about Why Real Madrid vs. Barcelona will be crucial, for Germany
Hands up if you find Barça’s beautiful game boring
There was something rather strange about Señor Antonio Lahoz’s half-time whistle at Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastián last Saturday. It sounded like a reasonably normal whistle, as whistles go. The short blast, followed by the longer one. Goals: Barcelona 2, Real Sociedad 0. Goalscorers Xavi Hernández and Cesc Fàbregas. Possession: 75 percent to Barcelona. No, everything perfectly in order there. Except it wasn’t. In most football matches, the referee’s half-time whistle precedes a collective expulsion of breath and a moment of calm to reflect on the 45 minutes of play just witnessed. This is so much of the beauty of football, the frenetic nature of this most exalted of pursuits means that … [Read more...] about Hands up if you find Barça’s beautiful game boring
Farewell to football’s crunching tackle?
The debate over bad tackles in football has shifted in recent weeks from Spanish shores to the island where the sport was invented, with a recent spate of incidents eliciting comment from all corners of the game. A man who has played in both La Liga and the English top flight, Mark Hughes, held forth on the matter after one of his Fulham players, American international Clint Dempsey, was scythed down by Chelsea’s Michael Essien, who received a red card for his troubles. “Years ago, I think there were a lot more fouls and it was refereed in a different way,” the former Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea forward said. "Certainly in my day, I had the reputation -possibly wrongly, I … [Read more...] about Farewell to football’s crunching tackle?
Guardiola’s masterwork is based on Cruyff’s art
Barcelona’s latest triumph on a seemingly inexorable march to another domestic and European double –a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Bernabéu on April 10– was described in the Spanish media as cartera ganado por cantera – roughly, the youth team beats the wallet. It has become one of Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s favourite jibes towards the team from the capital and the outspoken lawyer, who stands down from the stewardship of the club in the summer, is enjoying his personal finale immensely. “It was a victory for our mode of football and as a club,” Laporta told reporters after the match with thinly veiled glee. Of the two starting line-ups, Real’s contained one product of its … [Read more...] about Guardiola’s masterwork is based on Cruyff’s art