Everything started so brightly for the smallest club to ever reach Spain’s top flight. A debut victory over Eibar was backed up with a creditable draw away at Athletic Bilbao and suddenly the tiny club from the North East of Spain was making the country’s top flight look like a piece of cake. However, a trip to Barcelona was soon to prove a lesson the club have as of yet failed to recover with Messi and co running riot in an 8-2 hammering at the Nou Camp. Four months have passed since that defeat and Huesca have not recording a single win since and have collected just four points … [Read more...]
Barcelona Probable Lineup vs Sporting Gijon: Turan and Rakitic to start
Venue: Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijon Date: 17/02/2016 Kick-off: 05:30 PM GMT / 12:30 PM EST Match Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo did not have much to do during the 6-1 victory over Celta Vigo last time out but he did concede through a John Guidetti penalty. As a result, Bravo will be intent on keeping a clean sheet against Sporting Gijon this time around but it will not be as straightforward as people think due to the fact that the minnows have been showing a bit of attacking flair in recent time. Defence The Barcelona defence consisting of Jordi Alva, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique and … [Read more...]
Probable Real Madrid Lineup vs Sporting Gijon – Varane in for Ramos
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid Date: 17/01/2016 Kick-off: 3:00 PM GMT / 10:00 AM EST Television coverage: NOW TV, Sky Sports 3/HD (UK), beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A. (USA) Online Streaming: fuboTV (USA), Sky Go (UK) Goalkeeper Keylor Navas did not have much to do during the encounter against Deportivo and the Costa Rican would have been pleased to earn his first clean sheet over a month. Now with a clash against Sporting Gijon up next, Navas will be confident of keeping another shut out but the 29-year old will have to keep his concentration levels high … [Read more...]
Real Madrid vs Sporting Gijon: Preview, Predicted Lineups and Prediction
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid Date: 17/01/2016 Kick-off: 3:00 PM GMT / 10:00 AM EST Television coverage: NOW TV, Sky Sports 3/HD (UK), beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A. (USA) Online Streaming: fuboTV (USA), Sky Go (UK) Match Real Madrid News Real Madrid have been left rocked with the news that they will be suspended in the transfer market by FIFA due to irregularities in their transfer dealings. The announcement would most certainly have been very unsettling for Madrid but manager Zinedine Zidane will have to focus on matters on the pitch and the Frenchman … [Read more...]
Three Things To Expect From Sporting Gijon Next Season
Following Las Palmas' promotion on Sunday, all 20 teams for next season's La Liga campaign are known. Alongside the Gran Canarians are Segunda champions Real Betis and Sporting Gijon. Plenty has been made of Betis with the return of Pepe Mel causing quite a stir, and it will be interesting to see whether their free-scoring style will continue next season. However, less is known about Sporting, the side that finished second ahead of Girona by a whisker. Here are three things you need to know before seeing them next year. Defensive solidity Although Sporting ended the season in second place … [Read more...]
Zaragoza close in on La Liga with first leg victory over Las Palmas
Real Zaragoza went one step closer to a return to La Liga as they came from behind to win the first leg of the play-off final last night. Goals from Diego Rico, Pedro Sanchez and Willian Jose gave them a 3-1 win over Las Palmas with the return leg to be played on Sunday. Fresh from a dramatic 10 days in the Segunda, Zaragoza found themselves 1-0 down at La Romareda courtesy of a strike from ex-Valencia man Jonathan Viera. However, having come from 3-0 down against Girona in the first leg of the semi-finals, Zaragoza roared back and ensured that they will travel to Gran Canaria with the … [Read more...]
Four things you need to get a result at the Nou Camp
The other month we wrote a comprehensive guide on how any team could shape their bunch of prima donna no-hopers into a force to be reckoned with by replicating Barcelona's sexy style of attacking football. After reading this guide and taking everything we've said on board, your team no matter what level should be ready to take on the world destroying every team in their wake with fluidity and over-whelming finesse. However, should your transformation fail despite your best efforts, what's the best thing to do when you find yourself on the next plane to Barcelona knowing you face … [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...]
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...]