La Liga is only four game-days away from its annual break up for Christmas and as expected, the table is starting to take on a familiar look. However, for one side in particular, it makes for grim reading as the forgotten club from the outskirts of Madrid (Leganes) find themselves propping up the table and seemingly destined for relegation. Just six points have been collected by Javier Aguirre’s men at the time of writing with that sole win coming at home against fellow relegation battles RCD Mallorca. It is something of a disappointment after the funkily nick-named ‘cucumber growers’ (so named because of the vast quantity of said vegetable grown in the region) finished last season in a rather impressive 13th following promotion in 2016. Now, it appears time and a lack of investment is catching up with the club who boast the joint-lowest goals scored in La Liga this season. A far cry then from the 2015/16 season when Leganes finished second in the Segunda division … [Read More...]
The 3 games to watch out for this weekend
La Liga returns for matchday fifteen this weekend with a couple of blockbuster ties occurring as we run you through the three games you will not want to miss. Atletico Madrid v Barcelona – Sunday 1st December 20:00 Undoubtedly the stand out clash of the weekend sees Barcelona travel to the capital to take on Atletico Madrid. The table is taking on a familiar look with Barcelona sitting pretty at the top with Diego Simeone’s men just three points and three places back in fourth. Come Sunday night, the pair could be locked on the same points but Barca’s superior goal difference will mean the Catalans stay above their Madrid rivals whatever the result. If recent history is anything to go by then the match will likely end in a 1-1 draw as the last two times Barca have visited the Wanda that has been the result. However, Ernesto Valverde’s men will be confident after back to back wins in the league whilst Atletico have recorded three draws in their last four … [Read More...]
Gareth Bale Should Be Real Madrid’s Hero – He Chooses to Be a Dispassionate Professional Instead
It is an open secret that the relationship between Welsh midfielder Gareth Bale and Real Madrid is not ideal. The player still counts as an outsider six years after signing with the Madrid club, and his attitude and commitment - or better said the lack of it - have attracted a lot of criticism toward the player. His latest stunt - flying a flag that read "Wales, Golf, Madrid, in that order" after the team's victory over Hungary, added fuel to the fire. The flag can easily be considered an act of open defiance, pointing a finger on the complicated relationship between the player and the team. He could be a hero... If we consider his actions on the turf, Gareth Bale has ticked every box to become Real's hero - and a fan favourite. While his injuries didn't allow him to constantly give his best to the team, his over 230 matches, 100+ goals, and more than 60 assists are still a very impressive performance. Since he joined Real Madrid in 2013, he won everything worth winning with the … [Read More...]
Spain’s Euro 2020 qualification and a lack of El Clásico stars
The qualifying stages for Euro 2020 are coming to a close, with the final two rounds of games to be played this month. For six nations, their place in next year’s competition is already guaranteed with matches to spare. One of those countries is Spain, who were the latest to qualify following their last-gasp draw against Sweden in October. At this early stage, UEFA Euro 2020 odds favour Robert Moreno’s side. But there is one key talking point – the lack of players representing Barcelona and Real Madrid. The times are changing and gone are the days that the big two dominate La Liga with ease. In recent seasons, we’ve seen the likes of Atlético Madrid and Sevilla enter the mix, and at the time of writing there are just three points separating the top seven in the division. To add some context, when La Roja won the 2010 World Cup, there were seven Barcelona players in the squad and six of them started the final against the Netherlands. In 2013, nine … [Read More...]
Ernesto Valverde Running Out of Time at Barcelona
The Catalan giants did little to ease the pressure on manager Ernesto Valverde after being held to a goalless draw by Slavia Prague in another below-par appearance at Camp Nou. Barcelona created a number of chances to break the deadlock but Lionel Messi saw numerous opportunities thwarted by the inspired Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar. The Camp Nou outfit fired six shots on target in a game which became Lionel Messi’s first Champions League group stage game since 2012 without a goal or an assist. Such an underachievement is another red flag at Camp Nou and the finger-pointing game has already started. Are Barca in Crisis? A look at the stats and numbers would not suggest Barcelona actually are in a crisis. Sitting top of both La Liga and Champions League group F after 12 and three rounds of respective competitions, Barcelona have plenty to worry about, though. Moreover, three league defeats on the road in 2019/20 are pretty indicative. The way these defeats came … [Read More...]
Real Sociedad the invisible club
You can’t help but feel a little sorry for Real Sociedad. In any other season, we would be beside ourselves with praise for the job Imanol Alguacil is doing at the club who have become most famous recently for their average mid-table finishes. The reason why is that the whites and Blues find themselves mixing it in the top four keeping a number of the established elite at bay. The problem though is Granada. The newly-promoted outfit have stolen all the headlines after sweeping to the top of the table (second now after Barca won last night) and have been doing a fine job of staying up there when many thought they would likely be relegation fodder. However, this appears to be suiting Sociedad as their ability to go under the radar is catching people out when they least expect it. Atletico Madrid know only too well the price you pay for under-estimating Sociedad this season after being on the end of a 2-0 defeat and most recently Real Betis and Celta Vigo suffered … [Read More...]
The 3 mid-week La Liga games not to miss
What a time to be alive as this week we get a double dose of La Liga action with mid-week and weekend games set to take place. With so much La Liga action to choose from, we have selected the three mid-week games you simply won’t want to miss with so much at stake in such a hectic season. Getafe v Granada – Thursday 31st Oct – 20.15 It feels slightly weird saying this, but Getafe have the honour of hosting league leaders Granada this weekend. Yep, you heard me right, Granada. Head coach Diego Martínez has worked miracles this season and guided his newly promoted charges to the summit of one of the biggest domestic leagues in the World with six wins from their opening ten games. Many expect Granada to blow up at any moment but victory over Real Betis at the weekend proved Granada have what it takes to maintain a serious push for European football next season. Getafe are happily going about their business in 11th and may be happy to take the draw. Real Madrid v … [Read More...]
Granada the unstoppable force
Well, nobody expected this! As soon as Granada earned promotion from the Segunda Division last season after finishing as runners-up, no one in Spain’s top flight even battered an eye-lid. After all, it was hardly the first time Granada would be contesting a season in La Liga and considering the last time the Nazaríes finished inside the top flights top ten was in 1974, Granada were viewed by many as the whipping boys of the division once again. However, it seems manager Diego Martínez has been feeding his unfancied chargers a double dose of Weetabix as the find selves tucked nicely behind Real Madrid in second in Spain’s top flight after seven games. Victories over Espanyol, Celta Vigo, Leganes and of course that stunning win over Barcelona (yes, Barcelona). High profile draws against Villarreal and Real Valladolid have topped up the points tally with just one defeat to Sevilla the only blemish on a remarkable record in their opening seven games. Can … [Read More...]