Who doesn’t love a transfer rumour? Come on admit, we all do however, this summer looks set to be a window of epic proportions with a host of names being banded around. Some rumours are just that, but a number have been gathering some pace for awhile now and have quickly gone from being an opinion piece in the newspaper, to a genuine target for the clubs in question. With Barcelona running away with the league but boasting an aging squad and Real Madrid with Zinedine Zidane back at the helm and in need of a refresh, there is opportunity galore across Spain’s top flight (as Getafe are … [Read more...]
Huesca Dealt Cruel Real Blow
It is safe to say it has been a tough debut season in La Liga for minnows Huesca. However, the club that four years ago was plying its trade in Spain’s third tier has proven a welcome and solid edition to the league this season even if relegation is looking an almost certainty. With nine games to go, Francisco Javier Rodríguez Vílchez’s men find themselves seven-points adrift of safety. By no means down and out, but clearly with much to do and their fate out of their hands. Five wins this season has highlighted the progression a club can make despite boasting a stadium that only … [Read more...]
Cheerio Nike, Welcome Puma as La Liga Signs New Ball Deal
For 23-years, sports giant Nike and Spain’s top-flight football governing body La Liga has enjoyed a tight relationship. However, the rumors bursting out of Spain look to have confirmed that relationship will come to a close at the end of this season after La Liga signed a deal with Puma to supply the league with footballs for the next three seasons. The deal is reportedly worth around $5.6 million per year and sees the German sports brand trump one of their biggest rivals. Why the change? La Liga president Javier Tebas wants a ball that is exclusive to La Liga and … [Read more...]
The Getafe Gate-Crashers out to Make History
At the end of the 2009/10 Spanish top-flight season Barcelona were celebrating their 20th La Liga title, Atletico Madrid were left frustrated down in ninth and Xerez had just been relegated from their one and only appearance in the big time (the club now plays in the fourth tier of Spanish football). However, there was another story that went under the radar unless you hail from a city located in the Madrid metropolitan area known as Getafe. That season, the club achieved its highest ever finish since the club’s reformation in 1983. Sixth place a still unbeaten haul of 58-points … [Read more...]
Villarreal in Serious Relegation Threat
The Yellow Submarine are having a truly torrid time of things this season. At the time of writing, Javier Calleja’s men find themselves one-point adrift of safety in La Liga having picked up just four wins all season. Since taking over, Calleja himself has claimed just one La Liga win (although it did come against Sevilla) since taking back charge of the club despite having already been sacked by the club this season. In a move similar to that of Monaco this season, the man who had been in charge of the club since May 2017 and guided them into the Europa League this season was … [Read more...]
Can Valencia Break Their Barca Hoodoo?
Seven games have passed since Valencia last recorded a victory over Barcelona. For most sides, that is hardly a disastrous record, but for a team of Valencia’s overall calibre and desire, that is a disappointment. The Bats have a rich history in Spain’s top flight with six titles to their name, however betting sites currently back Valencia as having more chance of relegation than lifting the coveted title for a seventh time. Even just to record a victory over Barcelona at the Camp Nou like they last did in April 2016 are as long as 8/1. That is probably because trawling through … [Read more...]
Huesca on Course for Fewest Points Ever in La Liga
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...]
Can Anyone Stop Barcelona?
The door has been left wide open plenty of times this season for someone outside of Barcelona and Real Madrid to walk through but as of yet, no one has taken the chance to walk through it. Sevilla and Atletico Madrid have come close but so far trail the Barcelona juggernaut whilst keeping one eye firmly on the wounded European Champions who have endured a nightmare opening half. So far this season, Barcelona has lost two and drawn four in their opening 17 games. That is twice as many defeats as the whole of last season and if the trend continues into the second half then one can only … [Read more...]
Bilbao win to give Gaizka Garitanoa a perfect start
It was meant to be the match that kick-started new Bilbao head coach Gaizka Garitano’s La Liga reign off to the perfect start to follow up that sublime 4-0 thumping of Huesca in the Copa Del Rey midweek. And that is exactly what it proved to be despite leaving it until the 90th minute in order to beat highflying Girona on Monday night thanks to an Aritz Adruiz penalty. That means that since taking over the Bilbao hot seat on the 4th December, Garitano has already achieved the same number of victories (2) as his predecessor managed. Two matches and two wins is a superb start and it … [Read more...]
The 4 Games You Won’t Want to Miss this Weekend
The La Liga table has an unusual feel to it with Sevilla sitting at the top of the pile and Alaves in fourth spot. But, will they still be there come the end of weekend or will it be normality resumed? We take a look to see who’s playing who and pick out the best games you won’t want to miss. Alaves v Sevilla We may as well start at the top as fourth plays first in the most unusual top of the table clash. Alaves have been in sublime form this season but did lose to Leganes last Friday meaning perhaps momentum is dwindling. This is a contest Sevilla would normally look at as a … [Read more...]