Atletico and Real face off on Saturday night in the season’s first all Madrid affair where one team not even involved will look to prosper from the outcome. The derby match is an open opportunity for Barcelona to either take top spot or pull further away from an Atletico team who have been proving a thorn in the side of Real Madrid and Barcelona’s domestic monopoly over the last six years. Real Madrid sit top of La Liga on 27 points and are yet to be beaten. Barcelona are two points back in second place on 25 points whereas Atletico sit in fourth with 21 points from a possible 33. The … [Read more...]
Are Real Madrid in Pole position to win La Liga?
"Cristiano Ronaldo tras el gol" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Jan S0L0 Once again, Real Madrid find themselves in the familiar position of the summit of La Liga as they remain undefeated after eleven league matches and sit two points ahead of great rivals Barcelona. Sunday’s workmanlike 3-0 home victory over Leganes made it four wins in a row for Zidane's outfit, and they're now in possession of a better goal difference than the Catalan giants (which could prove vital). All of this leaves Real Madrid in pole position as we head into the back end of the year. However, Barcelona are still the bookies … [Read more...]
Sevilla v Atletico Madrid Preview
Once again it is Atletico Madrid who sit proudly top of La Liga looking to repeat their exploits from their title winning 2013/14 season. Whilst Diego Simeone's men's La Liga title odds are still pretty long, they still could be a good value bet for the Primera Division this season. However, Sevilla will harbour designs on top spot themselves as they welcome Atletico to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday afternoon in what promises to be a heavyweight clash. Recent Form Sevilla The Los Rojiblancos (or the red and whites to you and me) come into the game of the back of four straight … [Read more...]
Valencia’s miserable season set to continue?
It is safe to say that the last 12 months have not gone to plan for one of Spain’s biggest clubs. Since the beginning of last season, Valencia have won a combined 11 league games out of 41, losing 19 in the process. So far this season they have lost all three opening games and sit just above bottom club Celta Vigo only on goal difference. A disappointing opening home loss to high flying Las Palmas preceded a 1-0 away loss to Eibar and last time out they were pipped at home by Real Betis 2-3 leaving Valencia pointless and facing extreme pressure from fans and board alike. The betting odds … [Read more...]
Who will be La Liga’s top scorer this season?
Since 2010 the Pichichi award that went to the highest scorer in a Spanish La Liga season was dominated by just two names - Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. But the 2015-16 season saw a new entrant. Luis Suarez who had joined Barcelona in the 2014-15 season from Liverpool, took some time to find his feet at the Catalan club. His 27 matches in that debut season fetched him 16 goals, which wasn't bad by any means. But the following season was even better. From just 35 appearances, the Uruguayan striker scored an astonishing 40 goals and won the Pichichi hands down. In the current season, … [Read more...]
La Liga Title Race predictions
Barcelona are the defending Spanish champions and bookmakers' odds-on favourites to win the title in 2016-17 at a price of 8/11. Luis Enrique's side have made an impressive start to the season with a 5-0 thrashing of Sevilla over two legs in the Spanish Super Cup. They followed that up with a 6-2 hammering of Real Betis in their season opener whilst a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao at least secured three points at a ground that is not the easiest away game of the season. The Catalan club spent plenty of money over the summer - Jasper Cillessen replaces Claudio Bravo to compete with … [Read more...]
Can Las Palmas continue their 100% record?
After the international break, La Liga resumes with a full fixture list this weekend and it is an unfamiliar name which sits on top of La Liga (albeit on goal difference). Unfancied Las Palmas have got off to a flyer this season defeating Valencia 4-2 Away in their opening game then putting Granada to the sword 5-1 in their opening home game last time out. Granted, it is still very early days but could Las Palmas be about to do a Leicester city and fly under the radar to glory? In the betting stakes, these Spanish minnows are unfancied, with this review of Bovada.lv putting them at … [Read more...]
Spanish dominance set to continue in Europe
Chairing the UEFA Elite Coaches forum this week in Nyon, Sir Alex Ferguson offered the view that the Spanish clubs dominance of European football is set to continue. He has a point. Since 2014, the FIFA World Club Cup and Champions League has resided in either the Bernabeu or Camp Nou. The Europa League has been the sole preserve of Sevilla at the same time. Pep Guardiola swapped Catalunya for Bavaria and a shift in fortunes was expected. Bayern Munich, dominant at home, were going to usurp Barcelona abroad. La Liga didn’t care. Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona went to Munich; … [Read more...]
Could Sevilla Survive Without Monchi?
Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, more commonly known as Monchi, is quite possibly the most important figure in European football that you have never heard of. Born in San Fernando in 1968, Monchi was a goalkeeper who spent the entirety of his nine year playing career with Sevilla. It was after he hung up his boots in 1999, however, that Monchi really rose to prominence. Just a year after his retirement, when Sevilla were relegated from the Spanish top division in the year 2000, Monchi was appointed as the club’s new director of football. Sevilla’s board gave him two clear instructions; develop the … [Read more...]
Why Have So Few English Managers Made the Switch to La Liga?
At the start of the 2016/17 Premier League season David Moyes will be in the Sunderland dugout and Gary Neville will be in a TV studio. Not so long ago, however, both were enjoying sunnier climes as managers in Spain’s La Liga. Moyes took the helm of comparatively lowly Real Sociedad and Neville was installed at Valencia by an owner who also happens to be his business partner, and yet both appointments were still huge news in England. The reason those appointments did make so many headlines is because it is today so unusual for British and more specifically English managers to score a top … [Read more...]