The draw for the latter rounds of the Copa del Rey was made today, setting up a potential semi-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Last year the two clubs met at the same stage with Barcelona progressing 4-3 on aggregate and the year before that the two met in the final. To find a season where the top two Spanish clubs didn't meet in the domestic cup you have to go back to the season before (09/10) when neither team made the final and Madrid were wiped away 4-1 on aggregate by third-tier Alcorcon. … [Read more...]
Lionel Messi wins goal of the week with a thunderous strike against Real Madrid
After an exciting weekend of La Liga action in which the shares were spoiled in the all too anticipated El Clasico, we decided that Lionel Messi's second goal - a perfectly placed free kick to take Barcelona into a 2-1 lead in the second half of Barca v Real is our goal of the week. Barca fought back from a one goal deficit after Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for Jose Mourinho's side in the opening twenty-five minutes. … [Read more...]
Sevilla performance will keep Barca on their toes
David Villa popped up to score late on against 10 man Sevilla on Saturday and maintain Barcelona's 100% record in La Liga and the Champions League this season but only after coming from 2-0 down. Below par for much of the first half and the start of the second, the Catalan club were somewhat lucky to avoid a similar fate as rivals Real Madrid. Amid the poor start from Madrid, who they face next week, Barca had been running away with La Liga and seemed intent on punishing the capital side. Instead Villa's late goal ensured Barcelona exited the game which they could so easily have lost with … [Read more...]
Terrible start angers Mourinho
Real Madrid's woeful start to the new La Liga season continued last night as Getafe humbled Los Blancos and took a 2-1 victory at La Coliseum. Goals from Juan Valera and Abdelaziz Barrada turned the game around in the second half after Gonzalo Higuain had given Real the lead, which infuriated boss Jose Mourinho so much that he publicly blasted his star studded team. Having now lost two and drawn one of their three games so far it stands as one of the worst beginnings to a new campaign in decades for Madrid. … [Read more...]
Real Madrid Season Preview
Before we begin lets make one thing clear. Whether or not Real Madrid retain the title depends greatly on how well Barcelona will perform. It is as simple as that. Barcelona can only take back their La Liga crown based on how well Madrid play. The bafflingly simple logic of the situation mocks the overwhelming importance of the La Liga title yet it proves stunningly elementary. However strong the challenge is from one, the other must match and surpass it. … [Read more...]
El Clasico Preview
Despite two disappointing European defeats in midweek, Real Madrid and Barcelona will face off knowing that nothing less than 100% effort will be tolerated. As always, El Clasico is vitally important for everyone and everything surrounding it, but this is a big one because the destination of the league title could be decided by its outcome. Real hold a four point lead over Barca but travel to the Nou Camp knowing a defeat would severely affect their title prospects. A 3-1 defeat at the Bernabeu for Los Blancos was tough to take; a similar result in Cataluña would be even tougher to swallow. … [Read more...]
El Clásico – More than a game
Since the 1950's Spanish football has been thoroughly dominated by just two clubs – Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The knock-out format of cup competitions may throw up a surprise winner here and there but La Liga has for a long time been considered a two-horse race. These two clubs have won Spain's Primera Division 52 times between them, with Real's 31 championships leading the way. Barca however just pip Real on total tournament wins with 75 and hold all the current bragging rights, with their recent tournament wins setting them apart in Spain, Europe and the World. So it's no surprise that … [Read more...]
Barcelona Steal Plaudits in Exciting El Clasico
‘Underdogs’ Barcelona once again proved that Jose Mourinho has plenty more to do before he can finally overthrow the La Liga monarchy as his Real Madrid crumbled to a 3-1 defeat. Karim Benzema may have scored the quickest El Clasico goal after just 23 seconds but Barҫa scored 3 more to give Pep Guardiola and the Catalans the bragging rights once again through Alexis Sanchez, a deflected Xavi strike and a Cesc Fabregas header; yet the result could have been quite different had Cristiano Ronaldo not missed two glorious opportunities for Real, the very reason Mourinho used as his excuse for … [Read more...]
Six ways to get your football team playing like Barcelona
It's no lie that Barcelona are the envy of the footballing world right now. Apart from their contingent of world class players, renowned youth set-up and decorated history, their unique brand of attractive passing football is what has made Pepe Guardiola's men such a pleasure to watch in recent times. … [Read more...]
Can United stop Barca?
With the 2-0 triumph of Barcelona in yesterday's heated El Clasico encounter, it seems all but certain that Pepe Guardiola's men will make next month's Champions League final, most likely to face fellow semi-finalists Man United as they themselves were 2-0 victors away at Schalke in their first-leg clash on Tuesday. … [Read more...]