Cristian Tello grabbed a hat-trick as Barcelona romped to a 4-1 away victory over Levante in last night's Copa Del Rey quarter final first leg. Arsenal target Tello may have persuaded Arsene Wenger to prise open his purse strings as he put on a fine display, ably assisted by Lionel Messi. It sounds strange to say after a team mate scores three, but the mercurial Mess was my man of the match. He tore the home side apart at every opportunity and laid on all three goals for Tello. It was Levante who took the lead. Nabir El Zhar scored after 31 minutes to have Levante fans dreaming of victory. … [Read more...]
Levante 1-1 Barcelona
It was a glorious Sunday for Real Madrid boss Claudio Ancelotti, and his side didn't even kick a ball. Surprise draws for both Barcelona and Atletico leave Ancelotti's side just one point behind the co-leaders of La Liga. Plucky Levante put thoughts of the season opener, when they were thumped 7-0 at Camp Nou, out of their head. They played a pressing, containing game designed to shut off supply to the returning Lionel Messi – and Joaquin Capaross's plan worked to perfection. Whilst they defended superbly they also found time to break with menace, and it was the home side who opened the … [Read more...]