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
Liga
La Liga: Falcao firepower lets Atlético dream
He struck again at the weekend, scoring the winner, his 10th league goal of the season on match day nine and sending fans into raptures in the Spanish capital. He has done it time and time again this season, carrying his teammates on his back if needs be, turning a game with his individual brilliance and a seemingly insatiable appetite for goals. He has carried his side all the way to the top of the league in joint place with Barcelona on 25 points from a possible 27 and his name is being touted as a possible FIFA Ballon d’Or winner. But what is most astonishing about the man in question, is that he does not play decked in white, he plies his trade for the other team in the city, Atlético … [Read more...] about La Liga: Falcao firepower lets Atlético dream
La Liga: Early-season form leaves Málaga relishing Milan visit
“There is nothing that can distract us,” said Manuel Pellegrini before the weekend’s liga game, reassuring fans that his side would be focusing solely on the visit of Real Valladolid to La Rosaleda and not the impending visit of AC Milan in the Champions League in midweek. But the coach's words almost fell on deaf ears as Los Boquerones found themselves in danger of dropping points until the final minutes of the match. They got off to a bad start when Valladolid’s Manucho Gonçalves fired the visitors into a surprising lead just nine minutes in, but midfielder Francisco Román “Isco” Alarcón levelled the scores eight minutes before the break with an accurate low finish from an Eliseu … [Read more...] about La Liga: Early-season form leaves Málaga relishing Milan visit
La Liga: Basque derby highlights Bielsa’s lack of ideas
Heading into Saturday night’s Basque derby, Real Sociedad had failed to secure a victory over their regional neighbours for two and half years, with Athletic Bilbao having won both games last season. Not so long ago, Los Leones would have been clear favourites for the match having reached both the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Europa League final last year. This season, however, has seen Marcelo Bielsa’s men get off to a poor start, winning just one of their opening five Liga matches and it was to get no better at the Anoeta this weekend. Real Sociedad’s Antoine Griezmann had two dangerous efforts well saved by Gorka Iraizoz in the first-half but he finally broke the deadlock when his shot … [Read more...] about La Liga: Basque derby highlights Bielsa’s lack of ideas
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
La Liga: Atletico survive scare and Real lose again
A guard of honour may not be a tradition normally associated with Atlético Madrid but playing their first league game since they demolished Chelsea 4-1 in the UEFA Super Cup just over a fortnight ago, that was exactly what they got. Winning silverware is not such a novelty in the other half of Madrid these days as back in May, when the talk was of what a great season Athletic Bilbao were having and Atléti surprised everyone by beating the Basques 3-0 in the Europa League final. In Monaco, they brushed aside the reigning European Champions Chelsea with ease and despite the fact that their prize money is being withheld by UEFA for failure to comply with financial fairplay rules (the … [Read more...] about La Liga: Atletico survive scare and Real lose again
Spain wary of over-familiarity in Euro 2012 campaign
On a balmy night in summer 2008, ‘San Iker’ Casillas ascended new heights of sainthood when he stopped two penalties against Italy in the European Championships. It was to prove a significant turning point for the Spanish national soccer side, which had previously gone out of three major tournaments in the quarter-finals on penalties – the World Cups of 1986 and 2002 and Euro '96 – curiously on the very same date, June 22. They of course went on to win the competition and two years later lift the World Cup in South Africa. The game and the tournament also signalled a more complete change of fortunes for La Roja, the national side that had always had an embarrassment of riches when it … [Read more...] about Spain wary of over-familiarity in Euro 2012 campaign
La Liga: Real Madrid and Barça ponder life without Guardiola
Another La Liga season has ended, but you can be sure that many of this season’s themes will carry on into the next. It was a truly exceptional year for Spanish football and in much the same way that the top two have been pushing each other to new heights in the last few years, the Real Madrid and Barcelona rivalry will ensure more records are broken in the coming season. It is a fact that Cristiano Ronaldo was quick to admit in a recent interview with CNN: "I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high. This is why Madrid and Barcelona are the best teams in the world because everyone pushes each other, not just me and Messi, but other … [Read more...] about La Liga: Real Madrid and Barça ponder life without Guardiola
La Liga: Real Madrid’s away form is the stuff of champions
The last couple of weeks in the Spanish liga may have lost much of their tension after Real Madrid’s victory at Barcelona all but sealed the title race, but the season’s closing stages are still providing plenty of drama. When Madrid finally did secure the league title on Wednesday, the way they did so was utterly fitting. A 3-0 win at Athletic Bilbao’s feared San Mamés reflected the side’s superb away form this season, which has seen them drop only seven points outside the Bernabéu. And of course, Cristiano Ronaldo was on the score sheet, heading in from a corner in the 50th minute after Gonzalo Higuaín and Mesut Özil each scored in the first 20 minutes. Ronaldo has been unstoppable … [Read more...] about La Liga: Real Madrid’s away form is the stuff of champions
La Liga: Tito Vilanova steps out of Barcelona’s shadows
As the curtain was raised on the liga season last summer, he was largely an anonymous figure known only by FC Barcelona aficionados, but one lone act would change that. As a melee that so often accompanies a Clásico broke out at the Camp Nou between the 22 men on the pitch, substitutes and technical staff, José Mourinho calmly strolled over and poked Tito Vilanova in the eye. The Barcelona assistant coach swiftly responded with a slap to the back of ‘The Special One’s’ head. Vilanova was no longer anonymous and while still in the background, his figure would loom large over Barça’s season, culminating in his appointment as the new head coach after four years of Pep Guardiola at the … [Read more...] about La Liga: Tito Vilanova steps out of Barcelona’s shadows