There was a time, not so long ago when the indomitable forces of Real Madrid and Barcelona would fail to be threatened by any side in Europe after taking such a healthy first-leg lead but if this week is anything to go by, that unbeatable far factor has disappeared opening-up this seasons Champions League. Barcelona may have the La Liga title all but wrapped up this season but on Tuesday night against Roma, but a significant chink in the armour was exposed that teams such as Atletico, Valencia and Sevilla will look to expose next season as the Italians came back to knock Ernesto Valverde’s men out on the away goals rule despite a 4-1 first-leg advantage. For Real, despite Ronaldo riding to the rescue once more to save Los Blancos blushes, it was a performance that had the rest of Europe with their hearts in their mouths especially when Matudi leveled the tie in the 60th minute as Juventus went 3-0 up at the Bernabeu. Ronaldo not only saved his team but also his manager, with … [Read More...]
Girona – How realistic could European progress be?
In recent years, the league has been all about the ‘big three’ of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. This year, it was no different, although Valencia now appear to be a viable ‘fourth way’ in the short term. Christian Stuani has been on fire this season for Girona. Regardless of whether or not Valencia can continue to perform with such strength, the gap between the top four has been sizeable this season. The distance between the haves and have-nots is further illustrated by William Hill's Champions League odds, which spent a significant time this April declaring Real Madrid and Barcelona as joint-favourites to win the cup. Girona – the next success story? Beneath the elite four, however, lies an intriguing tale of progress against the odds. Girona, newly promoted from the second tier, could yet qualify for the Europa League. Even if that particular outcome does not pass, the correct signings could make that possible next season. But what could Girona fans expect … [Read More...]
Fireworks Set for 219th Madrid Derby
Forget the Mersyside derby or the Manchester Derby this weekend, the City of Madrid steals the limelight as the showpiece match of Europe as Atletico Madrid make the short trip across Spain’s capital to the Santiago Bernabéu to face the old enemy Real Madrid. Across all competitions, the pair have met a whopping 218 times and unsurprisingly, it is Los Blancos who hold a significant statistical edge over their neighbours. Real have won exactly half of all the encounters with 109 victories between the two whilst Atletico have claimed a poultry 55 by comparison and a total of 54 draws. However, the past means little right now as it is Los Rojiblanco who hold a four-point lead over their esteemed rivals in a season that has seen Real head coach Zinedine Zidane come under severe pressure. Despite this, the home side are still deemed the match favourite with 888sport and that could be a sensible option largely thanks to the form of one man. It is not the first time we have … [Read More...]
The Rise of the Underdog: Girona, Real Betis, Getafe
This season, many people have been getting carried away by Barcelona’s dominance at the top of the table and Real Madrid’s domestic troubles. But the real story of the season still lies in the upper reaches of the division, just not with teams one may have expected. Girona, Real Betis and Getafe find themselves seventh, eighth and ninth respectively and above the likes of Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, and Espanyol. Remarkably, newly promoted Girona find themselves just two points behind Sevilla and chasing down the unlikeliest of European places for next season. This has opened up the floodgates in the betting markets with plenty of free betting offers being lauded on these three sides as the unpredictability of the mid-table is making for some great action for the punters and bookmakers alike. But who are these three underdogs and why are they performing so well? Girona Despite sounding like they belong in the Italian League; little Girona are making a big … [Read More...]
The Special History of Football in Spain
In Spain, football, as it is commonly known, or in the United States as soccer, is the most popular sport above all others. With the weather more on the fairer side most of the time, the Spanish national football team triumphed in both training and ended up winning the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and went on to be successful in the UEFA European championship and multiple Olympic tournaments. The traditional Spanish word for football is actually "futbol." 19th Century “Futbol” Football initially came to the shores of Spain in the late 1900s as an imported game from the British Isles where it was embraced so well it became the traditional game of the people. Spanish students studying in British schools and colleges loved the game so much they brought the knowledge of the “beautiful game” into Spain from the British Isles while at the same time visiting sailors brought a love for the football culture to the country from their own homelands. In his 2003 book "Morbo (which was the Story … [Read More...]
What Happened to Cristian Tello? The Man Expected to Carry Barcelona
When Cristian Tello broke into the Barcelona first team during the 2011/12 season it looked like the man who was part of Spain’s under-21 squad that won the 2013 European Championships would carry the Blaugrana forward line for the next decade. Everything certainly started well after scoring a brace in the 9-0 hammering of CE L'Hospitalet in the Copa Del Rey and then later scoring in his first league start against Real Sociedad in early February 2012. This begs the question, why (with so much positivity surrounding the Spaniard's early career) are we not raving about Tello’s achievements at the Nou Camp? Well, the answer is simple. He’s no longer there and hasn’t been for a while. No doubt if you follow La Liga regularly, you will be aware that the man with just a solitary Spain cap signed for Real Betis last summer for the seemingly bargain price of just €4 million which came about only after spells across Europe with Porto and Fiorentina. But how did he end up there … [Read More...]
Barcelona Look to Take Advantage of Chelsea Plight
Real Madrid did their bit for Spanish football breezing past a despondent looking PSG and now it is the turn of Barcelona to continue flying La Liga’s flag on the grandest of European Stages. Chelsea are the visitors to the Camp Nou with the last sixteen match-up finely poised after a tight 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. After hammering Girona 6-1 immediately after that strong score-draw against Chelsea in the first leg, Barce have also managed to pick up a point away at Las Palmas but more impressively, three points over rivals Atletico Madrid However, since that night in West London, the form of the English side has seen them struggling even to compete to qualify for next seasons tournament after back to back defeats to the two Manchester clubs has left the blues five points off Tottenham in fourth. This is giving Barcelona head coach more impetus ahead of the Champions League tie as their betting odds for progression to the quarter finals with 888Sport are suddenly looking … [Read More...]
PSG v Real Madrid – All Still to Play for in the French Capital
Eighty minutes in and it looked like PSG were going to come away from the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with the perfect score draw and thus putting the balance power in the hands of Paris. However, Ronaldo and Marcelo had other ideas and late strikes by the pair gives the defending European title holders a heavy advantage as they head to the Parc des Princes for a critical last sixteen-second leg tie. But do not think for a second that it is game over. If Real have proved anything this season, it is that they have the capability to implode as witnessed once again at the weekend when they lost 1-0 to Espanyol. That was the second surprise defeat in just three games after losing to Leganes just over a week ago for Zinedine Zidane’s men and one that puts seemingly insurmountable pressure on the former world cup winner. This worrying league form for Madrid has somewhat heightened the importance of the PSG vs Real Madrid betting odds as now the French champions believe they have … [Read More...]