You can almost count the hours on your fingers and toes before arch-rivals Spain and Portugal commence the war of Iberia in Russia in a game that is likely to decide who will top World Cup group B. With Iran and Morocco, the other two sides contesting the group, all and sundry firmly expect both the Portuguese and Spaniards to make it through to the knockout stages with the only thing to be decided is in which order. According to numerous sportsbooks such as https://www.apuestasdeportivas24.org/ Spain were entering the World Cup in a strong position. That was until Spain shook the … [Read more...]
World Cup Warm Up: Tunisia v Spain
The World Cup countdown is well and truly on and as we enter days as opposed to weeks until the tournament begins, the 32 teams set to enter sports biggest stage get one last chance to experiment before the grand kick off. On Saturday, Tunisia and Spain meet at the Krasnodar Stadium in Russia, with a final chance to fine-tune squads and give run-outs to those on the fringe. But what can we expect from an International friendly so close to the World Cup finals and how have the pair fared in the run-up to Russia 2018? Spain’s Recent Form It is of little surprise that 2010 World Cup … [Read more...]
Zidane Walks, So What Next for Madrid?
When Real Madrid announced a press conference would take place just hours after Zinedine Zidane was due to sit down with club president Florentino Perez, social media went into overdrive and just a few hours later, it was confirmed, the man who guided Los Blancos to three Champions League titles in a row would be vacating the hot seat. When Frank Lampard and Marco Silva were making headlines in England for joining new clubs Derby County and Everton respectively, Zidane was making headlines for the opposite. As expected, much like landing a Bitcoin Bitzstars bonus, the rumour mill and … [Read more...]
Barca Lookalikes Huesca Earn Promotion to La Liga For First Time
Spanish minnows Huesca are celebrating after achieving promotion to the top table of Spanish football for the first time in the club’s history after a 2-0 victory over Lugo in Spain’s second tier Segunda division was enough to see the side claim enough points to guarantee promotion. With two games still to go, Huesca will now aim to win the Segunda title ahead of Rayo Vallecano who they have a two-point advantage over. A Long Road to the Top The club is notable for their similarity in kits to the mighty Barcelona who they will be mixing it with next season and can trace their heritage … [Read more...]
La Liga Final Weekend Breakdown Part Two: 11th – 20th
In our previous article, we decided to take a look at what the sides in Spain’s top 10 have left to play as the season enters its final round of fixtures. Now, we take a look at what the sides in the bottom half of the table can still achieve heading into the final weekend of a thrilling season. Girona – 48 pts Just avoiding the drop has earned tiny Girona many plaudits but they still have the ability to finish inside the top ten in their debut top-flight season. However, defeat to Las Palmas on Saturday could see them slip to fifteenth but no matter happens, the season has been an … [Read more...]
La Liga Final Weekend Breakdown: Whats Left to Play for in the Top 10?
The English Premier League came to an undramatic close last weekend and this weekend it is the turn of Spain’s top flight to close its doors on what has been a season that has seen giants fall, minnows rise, and Barcelona come agonisingly close to an unbeaten season. With just one round of fixtures left, we take a look at what is left to play for between the clubs currently in the top ten. Barcelona – 90 pts Absolutely nothing, especially after suffering that shock 5-4 defeat to Levante last time out, it means the chance to go through the season unbeaten is no more. However, with … [Read more...]
Manager of the Season: Our Contenders
The 2017/18 La Liga season has just four games left for a majority of the sides and for some, the campaign has been an overwhelming success no matter what happens in the remaining games whilst for others, it has been a disaster. However, as we like to focus on the positive side of the game, we thought what better time than now to check out who deserves a shot at the manager of the season accolade after nine months of hard work. Ernesto Valverde – Barcelona We may as well start at the top and you simply cannot exclude the man who wins the league title. Granted, the league title is … [Read more...]
Champions League Fall Out: Barcelona and Real Made to Look Vulnerable
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 … [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 … [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 … [Read more...]