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...]
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 … [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...]
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 … [Read more...]