Far from pretty, a lifeless Atletico Madrid secured 3 valuable points against lowly Granada in the race to contest in Europe next year with a 2-0 win at the Vicente Calderon. Toward the end of the game, enigmatic coach Diego Simeone could be seen trying to fire up the home fans in spite of a game which would fail to inspire even the most seasoned of supporters. Generating a reaction from the players however has been moderately successful as Madrid has since lost just one of his 13 games in charge following the departure of Gregorio Manzano in December. … [Read more...]
Torres omitted from Spain squad
Fernando Torres has been left out of Vicente del Bosque's squad for the Venezuela friendly next week due to his woeful form for Chelsea in front of goal this season. The Spanish striker has scored just 4 times in 29 games this season adding to his sole goal at the end of the last campaign, and has failed to find the net in over 5 months. Del Bosque told Spanish media that his performances of late had 'been a bit irregular' and that he would like to reward other strikers who merit a place in the squad more than the man who's goal won the Euro 2008 Final. As a result, Roberto Soldado, Iker … [Read more...]
Barca’s Lack of Depth Gives Madrid a 7 Point Lead in Title Race
SkySports bosses would have been licking their lips earlier this evening at the prospect of both Real Madrid and Barcelona facing off against two teams in the bottom four of La Liga, especially without BBC’s weekly Match of the Day stealing homesick viewers; though the night disappointed those in search of plenty of goals. Just 4 came in total, all of which from the Santiago Bernabeu, meaning that one of the top two had to settle with a deadlocked 0-0. That team was Barcelona who fell 7 points behind leaders Real Madrid as Villarreal outfought their fatigued, injury stricken opponents and … [Read more...]
Real Trouble for Zaragoza
15,000 Zaragoza fans demonstrated against club President, Agapito Iglesias on Saturday prior to their team's 1-1 draw with Getafe at La Romareda. The club are in dire straights and currently on the brink of extinction with their board of administrators having been present for 10 days until Iglesias forced them out due to his controlling influence. Action group Salvemos El Real Zaragoza influenced supporters to protest against the chaotic manner in which their club is being run by chanting and waving placards outside before bringing banners into the ground as the match proceeded. In the 32nd … [Read more...]
Ronaldo Reacts to Real Criticism
Cristiano Ronaldo refused to celebrate his goal against Granada during the weekend rout in a reaction to jeering from the Madrid crowd who were unhappy with his recent performances. The Portuguese striker has been under fire since his below-par showing in the Clasico and some fans feel that he can be quite selfish at times. Scoring his 21st La Liga goal of the season and Madrid's 5th in the 5-1 victory, Ronaldo simply bowed his head and trudged back to the halfway line almost as though he'd put it in the wrong net, refusing to acknowledge his team mates whatsoever. Madrid based sports paper, … [Read more...]
Reyes Returns to Seville
Ex-Arsenal and Atletico Madrid winger Jose Antonio Reyes has finally rejoined his first club, Sevilla, in a 3 and a half year deal worth €3.5million. It comes after days of intense speculation in relation to his future at Madrid and desire to return to Andalucia. Reyes, 28, had a well documented public disagreement with former Atleti boss Gregorio Manzano but insists that had nothing to do with the transfer. “Sevilla have a great sporting project,” Reyes maintained. “I left there when I was very young and I think it’s time to return. … [Read more...]
Malaga March Forwards
Santi Cazorla and Joaquin doubles secured 3 routine points for Malaga as they overwhelmed a hapless Granada 4-0 in the Eastern Andalucian derby. A defeat to fellow rivals Sevilla on the opening day spelt trouble for Malaga but they are now officially up and running. Could this be the beginning of something? Judging by last nights performance it becomes hard to tell due to the quality of the opposition. It'd be like getting carried away after a victory over Swansea City! Nevertheless, Manuel Pellegrini's men ran out convincing winners against a team who look to be in for the long run already. … [Read more...]
What the Champions League Draw Served Up For the Spanish Sides
Valencia, Villarreal, Real Madrid and Barcelona all awaited the Champions League Group Stage draw eagerly today as the coverage unfolded as smoothly as ever in Monaco. As ever, a predictable pause ensued as last year's tournament was articulately recapped in a montage of highlights and commentary. It proved a mouthwatering supplement to this year's competition as much as it wasted time for equally keen viewers. … [Read more...]
Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal
Arsenal's Champions League dream is well and truely over after they crashed out the competition suffering a 3-1 defeat against Barcelona at the Nou Camp this evening. Despite a stern defensive display from Arsenal the hosts atypically controlled proceedings throughout the tie and eventually took the lead on half-time when Lionel Messi latched onto a Cesc Fabregas error and provided a neat finish flicking the ball over Arsenal Keeper Fabianski and volleying home from close-range. … [Read more...]
Barcelona v Arsenal Preview
Barcelona will be looking to avenge their 2-1 defeat at the Emirates a fortnight ago as they host Arsenal in the second leg of this all-important last 16 Champions League clash Tuesday evening. Arsenal triumphed in the first leg of this tie just two weeks ago thanks to goals from Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin. Barcelona originally took the lead early through a David Villa strike but Arsene Wenger's men battled back valiantly to claim a 2-1 victory. With injury worries, League Cup heartache and an unconvincing performance against Sunderland last weekend Arsenal will certainly have … [Read more...]