futbolgrande

Let's play what if...

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:00:27 +0100

If Manuel Pellegrini had taken an English side who had only made it into the Premier League in 1998 - then dropped down, before being promoted again - to the semi-finals of the Champions League, how would he be viewed?

If he then took that same side to a second placed finished in the Premier League, his CV would be looking good.

Then he gets the gig at Manchester United, but David Gill is selling players without his permission and using a paper to tar his name, all because he wasn’t appointed under his watch.

Despite this, Pellegrini leads United to 96 points, but misses out on the title to an brilliant [insert team here] side. Admittedly we know this United side possessed over £200 million worth of talent, but that’s not always the recipe for success is it?

Of course, Man Utd ‘flopped’ in the Champions League too, knocked out to a far from rubbish Lyon side after progressing from the groups. They were also knocked out of the cup to Burnley, but didn’t feature their strongest side, and we all know how cup exits can be diluted in England with the “reserve side” arguement. Even when it’s not actually a reserve side.

Dismissed from Old Trafford, he takes over at a club like, say QPR, and thanks to a bit of money thrown at it, takes them to the Champions League. But then, we all know how easy that is - just look at QPR.

Except when they get to the promised land, QPR’s owners decide they’re not interested and start flogging players. Despite this, Pellegrini takes them to the quartefinals of the European Cup and narrowly misses out courtesy of a last minute goal against Borussia Dortmund.

Despite a small squad, a handful of loanees and a European run, Pellegrini maintains QPR’s league form. They occupy the top four for most of the season and never drop out of the top six -it’s only when they exit Europe that they start feeling sorry for themselves and tiredness catches up with them.

But God forbid this could be a realistic story.

Thanks to Martin Samuel’s outstanding research we know it’s unlikely Pellegrini could ever do what Roberto Martinez’s has down with Wigan - winning the FA Cup but it looks like one relegation battle too many.

He couldn’t even emulate Alan Pardew at Newcastle, or Alan Curbishley at Charlton all those years ago.

Mexican radio sat in front of us at Cornella-El Prat for...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:48:11 +0100

Mexican radio sat in front of us at Cornella-El Prat for Espanyol vs. Valencia, except they’ve got their own angle on the game…

Presenting Hector Moreno vs. Andres Guardado!

will the deep-rooted problems in spanish football boil over?

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:48:30 +0000

Lighting up La Ciudad del Futbol in Las Rozas - a municipality near Madrid and the home of the RFEF - are two European Championships, one World Cup and countless trophies from under-age successes. Domestically there’s the small matter of Real Madrid and Barcelona too, the two teams who were pretty much solely responsible for FIFA’s team of the year and who’s regular meetings - known as El Clasico - regularly draw millions of viewers worldwide.

In short, Spain has become the blueprint for most countries trying to get some sort of success out of the beautiful game. They’ve replaced Brazil as both the best side and the country with the most sought after style, boasting their unique Tiki-Taka system which teams across the globe try to replicate - implicated in the Premier League by managers like Brendan Rogers and Michael Laudrup and ruthlessly pursued by Roman Abramovich.

It all seems particularly rosy, too good to be true - and it is. Dig a little deeper beneath the surface and problems underpin the domestic game, at any moment La Liga could bubble over into a situation like the match-fixing scandal that halted the progress of Italy’s Serie A.

First of all there’s the threat of the Operation Puerto doping scandal which has ripped through cycling spilling over into football. Speaking to Spanish National Radio last week, Eufemiano Fuentes - the doctor at the centre of trial - claimed he is owed money by Real Madrid. “I am interested in collecting a debt” he said, continuing “let’s see if Madrid pay what they owe me. Barcelona pay well, but Real Madrid still owe me money.”

The implication, that Spain’s duopoly may have been guilty of doping similar to that which has seen Lance Armstromg pillaged in recent months. Tomas Valdivielso, Fuentes attorney, was quick to state though that “it has nothing to do with Operation Puerto” and Real Madrid have since launched legal proceedings. They say the debt is for expenses he incurred as a witness for them in a 2009 libel trial - a trial which followed a reports in French newspaper Le Monde claiming Real Madrid, Barcelona and other leading clubs in Spain used Fuentes’ doping expertise.

It’s not the first time Operation Puerto has threatened to taint Spanish football. When a payment code was named in the trial as “RSoc” recently, speculation reacher feverish levels in Spain over the possible use of doping at Basque club Real Sociedad.

Those levels peaked when La Real’s former president Iñaki Badiola said that his predecessors had been paying for Fuentes’ services for many years - including the 2002/03 season when they finished second with Xabi Alonso in their squad. Talking to El Pais, Badiola said “we’ve been buying strange medicines for £294,000 per year [from Fuentes].”

It has not yet escalated any further than that, but the accusations are there and with Real Madrid almost dragged through the mud last week, many harbour belief that it is a matter of time until concrete evidence leaks out to implicate Spanish sides in the scandal. But if it doesn’t, there is another threat hanging over many La Liga clubs. One which has been brought about by a decade of financial mismanagement and the monopolising of TV money by the apex predators.

In a move which could see major implications for a number of professional clubs in Spain’s top two divisions, European authorities are preparing to halt public funding of debt-ridden clubs - many clubs are already having trouble paying bank debts totalling some £3bn. The move would likely force some clubs into liquidation. Deportvio la Coruna look the most culpable at the moment but others - like Valencia, who are now regional government owned, and Atletico Madrid - would have to sell players and face years of decline.

The problem is surfacing now because of Spain’s struggling economy. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy continues to make cuts and tax payers continue to be the ones effected, while football clubs sit on their tax debts still paying their players thousands of euros a week.

“It is beggars belief,” criticised Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness when the debt figures became transparent last year. “We pay hundreds of millions of euros to keep Spain out of the shit and then they let the clubs off their debts.”

While clubs frantically try to arrange a TV deal that suits everyone - not just Real Madrid and Barcelona - while also negotiating their tax bills, Professor José María Gay de Liébana, of the University of Barcelona, suggested only three clubs wouldn’t feel the wrath of the potential financial apocalypse in Spanish football:

“When people ask me which clubs could be in danger, I reply with the list of the only clubs that are not in any kind of danger - Barcelona, Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. Elsewhere the talent will be forced to flee to the Premier League in Britain or elsewhere.”

Years of brushing these problems under the table could be about to come to an unprecedented halt. The sooner the RFEF and everyone involved in Spanish football start addressing these problems in a similar manner to which they oversee their talent production, the quicker they can carry on focusing on winning more World Cups.

In this Tercera Division game Quintanar del Rey were taking on...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:00:58 +0000

In this Tercera Division game Quintanar del Rey were taking on Toledo, when one of their players was desperately unlucky not to score with a decent effort… Except the referee felt he did score and gave the goal, much to the bemusement of all involved!

afootballreport: The comeback / La remontada The Copa del Rey...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:35:59 +0000

afootballreport:

The comeback / La remontada

The Copa del Rey was lost. Doubt was rising throughout Europe, but Barça showed us that nothing has changed. Before the match, Piqué said, “Any fan who doesn’t think we can turn it round against Milan should give his ticket for the game to someone who does.” The Camp Nou crowd supported their side all night long. This one was for Tito, and it was a performance for the ages.

[Posted by Eric. Gifs by Dale Con Comba]

talking points from the la liga weekend

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:03:09 +0000

Changing of the guard?
Barcelona are still highly likely - bar a mahoosive collapse - set to win the La Liga title back from Real Madrid. However, Saturday’s win for Mourinho’s men over La Blaugrana was the second of the week, both significant in their simplicity. If the Portuguese coach’s job was to belittle the Barcelona regime which has thrilled Europe for so long, it would appear his work is done. Even if he is to leave in the summer.

Malaga and Atleti defences are the bosses.
Diego Simeone’s first game in charge of Atletico Madrid was a 0-0 draw with Malaga. This weekend they drew 0-0 with Malaga again, failing to completely capitalise on Barca’s defeat. It wasn’t completely unexpected though - Thibaut Courtois and Willy Caballero are the leading candidates for the Zamora trophy.

Thriller in San Sebastian.
Two of this season’s most exciting teams put on a cracking encounter at Real Sociedad’s Anoeta on Sunday night. Following two 0-0’s in the Sunday schedule, there was pressure on this fixture to produce. It did. Real Betis led 2-0, before trailing 3-2 only to clinch an equaliser through Colombian loanee Dorlan Pabo. Great entertainment.

Espanyol bore draw keeps home form going.
Valladolid came for a draw and got one, frustrating Javier Aguirre’s Espanyol as they held out for a 0-0 draw. The home side will be disappointed that their five match winning run came to an end at Cornella-El Prat, but can seek encouragement in the fact they are still unbeaten there since the Mexican took charge.

Massive Mallorca win.
Tomer Hemed’s 90+4 minute winner against Granada brought to life thoughts of the great escape for newly-appointed Gregorio Manzano’s Mallorca. Still plenty of work to do mind, but it will breathe some confidence into a squad who desperately needed some. The same can’t be said for Deportivo la Coruna who drew 0-0 at home with Rayo Vallecano. Draws are not the medicine needed for their survival though.

pitchinvasion: inventfootball: Neymar gets the TIME...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:11:43 +0000

pitchinvasion:

inventfootball:

Neymar gets the TIME treatment

Latin American edition.

why betis needn't feel too down and espanyol won't get carried away

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:15:32 +0000

Jornada 24: Espanyol vs. Real Betis; Cornella-El Prat

To coin an old cliché, football is a very funny game.

Another illustration of this took place at Cornella-El Prat on Sunday night as an Espanyol team, inflated with the confidence that not so long ago resided in Real Betis, took on Los Verdiblancos from Seville.

Since the appointment of Javier Aguirre - he replaced Mauricio Pochettino - Barcelona’s second team have been red hot. A defeat to Barcelona the only blot on a record which had seen Los Pericos draw at the Bernabeu and win four in a row at home.

On the other hand was Betis, struggling to score, let alone win, and seeing their post new year winning streak fade into the past faster than Steve Brookstein disappeared from the music industry. Remember him? Us neither.

Yet despite their faltering European hopes and lack of goals, Pepe Mel’s side still travelled to meet La Liga’s form side boasting the second best away record in La Liga after only Barcelona, it had the makings of an intriguing fixture.

And intriguing it looked set to be, Sergio Garcia spinning and firing home a controlled volley after just seven minutes looked like the perfect antidote to cheer up a game of late night Sunday football.

But it wasn’t. What followed was pretty much 83 minutes of evidence of when you’re in form, things work out OK. When you’re out of form, they probably won’t - that old adage of needing a bit of luck.

For all Betis’s possession they never really looked clinical. Beñat buzzed around like his usual self, but the honey that resulted in so much joy at the beginning of the season was not quite evident. His interpration of a Cristiano Ronaldo free kick was possibly the closest they came though.

Jorge Molina offered little as the front man, one miss at the far post was particularly excruciating, and Joel Campbell and Dorlan Pabon in the wide positions showed signs of their potential but little actual substance on the night.

On the Espanyol side of the coin, the most interesting thing about their results at home is that they seem to be winning games by just being better than they were in 2012, if not by looking completely brilliant.

Christian Stuani looks a different man, although it may not be him under that mask, and pretty much everything sticks to Sergio Garcia like it’s 2008 again. Aguirre has given Simao another chance in the side and their reliance on Joan Verdu - who’s likely to sign a new deal - has dropped dramatically.

By full time, Espanyol had extended their winning run to five straight matches at home and strengthened their position at the top of the form table. As for Betis they’re now without a win in five league matches and have failed to score in four.

It might not have been the game we anticipated, but it was probably the game we should have expected.

The good news for traveling Los Beticos fans - and there was a few of them in the corner - is that in football, another cliché means that all it takes it one bit of luck, one rub of the [Betis] green and they could be swapping form roles with Espanyol once again in the not too distant future.

afootballreport: Madrid’s invaluable pursuit of ‘La...

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:14:27 +0000

afootballreport:

Madrid’s invaluable pursuit of ‘La Décima’

It’s hard to put a price tag on winning the Champions League, but this year it’s worth a few more million euros to José Mourinho’s men. It’s no secret that Real Madrid ~~desperately~~ want to win the Champions League for the 10th time, a trophy they’ve been relishing to lift since 2002, courtesy of that unforgettable Zidane volley. Since that glorious night in Hampden Park, Real were close to reaching the final in the following year until they crashed out to Juventus in the semis, who subsequently knocked them out the next season in the quarter-finals.

And then the curse began… For the following 6 editions of Europe’s grandest competition, Los Blancos were unable to go further than the last 16. The hopes of winning ‘La Décima’ transformed into a Saharan mirage, but the obsession clearly never faded - especially through Marca’s publications. Semi-final appearances have come courtesy of Mourinho, which is as promising as it is painful. It was recently confirmed that club president, Florentino Perez, will give each player a reward valued at half a million euros if they win ‘La Décima’. However, you’d hope that financial incentives would be meaningless in the context of how important this trophy is to the club. Regardless, tonight the chase continues at the Bernabéu.

‘The cure of an obssesion: get another one’ - Mason Cooley

[Posted by Dom]

pitchinvasion: Jose Mourinho being measured up at Madame...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:51:46 +0000

pitchinvasion:

Jose Mourinho being measured up at Madame Tussauds for a 2005 exhibition.

mini clasico, morbo and second teams

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:49:46 +0000

On the Catalan coast a fixture all-too-frequently gracing screens worldwide was staged in front of the home side’s largest attendance of the season. Except this wasn’t El Clasico, rather the mini version, the youngsters continuing the feud one league down from La Liga – a concept not familiar in England.

That’s because in Spain, reserve teams can compete in the second division. They used to be allowed in the Copa del Rey too, Real Madrid Castilla advancing to the final before losing 6-1 to Real Madrid in 1980 - since 1990 though, reserve teams have no longer competed in the cup.

Foreign managers, notably Rafa Benitez and André Villas-Boas, have sought to replicate the idea in the Football League. “Why shouldn’t they if they have enough quality?” Argued Benitez in 2007, Villas-Boas more recently added that English reserve sides don’t “serve the progression of talent coming through, youth development systems in England are not right.”

On January 27 in the Mini Clasico, beneath the shadow of Camp Nou, there were examples to serve both for and against the theories of the two Iberian managers.

Witnessing the two sides of the argument with just over 12,000 fans at the Mini Estadi were the now common “independència” chants – a political reference to Catalunya’s bid for secession - in each half, anti-Madrid songs, four goals and a red card. Everything associated with recent El Clasicos now gracing the Mini Clasico on its return 15 years since they were last in the same league.

Castilla took a first half lead, Alvaro Morata – later subject to cries of “Morata, why don’t you go to Getafe?” - heading home shortly before half time. The game changed though when Alex Fernandez, brother of Los Blancos’s captain Nacho Fernandez, was sent off allowing Barça B to exert total control.

Rafinha Alcantara – brother of Thiago - Gustavo Ledes and Luis Alberto put on a tiki-taka exhibition under a blanket of “olè” shouts from the crowd, Boca Juniors loanee Sergio Araujo scored twice and Gerard Deulofeu – La Masia’s next big hope – added a third following the award of a soft penalty. He’s the Spanish second tier’s top scorer.

Throughout the game the morbo – untranslatable but similar to rivalry - was tangible. Little over 100 Madridstas were present, tucked in a corner waving Spanish flags to incite the Catalan nationalism feelings. It drew loud whistles which, by the third goal, evolved into streams of Barça fans clambering down their stands towards the angle housing the Madrid devotees – the customary tirade of expletives hardly worth repeating.

The win moved Eusebio Sacristán’s young men further ahead of their relegation-threatened Madrid counterparts, keeping them in a play-off spot - rules would prevent them competing for promotion though. In 1984 both Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao’s reserves were denied promotion, as were Atletico Madrid’s in 1999 and last season Villarreal’s second string were relegated to Segunda B - where the reserves of Atheltic, Atletico, Valencia and others play - to make room for the first team.

Barcelona are the example of what Benitez and Villas-Boas hoped to replicate in England - a club reaping the rewards of a second team in the Championship providing youngsters to leap into the first team. Real Madrid – in the moment at least – fail to offer that platform and as one time Liverpool player and now Spanish television presenter Michael Robinson says provide “one of the great evidences where the rich get richer and poor get poorer.”

Deulofeu and 17-year-old left-back Alejandro Grimaldo harbour realistic hopes of following the path of Andres Iniesta and Xavi. For Morata and Nacho it is difficult to imagine them joining Cristiano Ronaldo and his expensively assembled friends, the likes of Juan Mata and Roberto Soldado already previous examples of fleeing canterano – a term for youth teamers in Spain. It’s a bone of contention in the Spanish capital, hence the “Getafe” jibe from the crowing Barça supporters.

Despite all the hatred, action and excitement generated by the Mini Clasico it is still hard to take Messrs Benitez and Villas-Boas points with more than a pinch of salt. Barcelona are an exception to a rule and besides, it wasn’t long ago that the blaugrana was largely adorned by Dutch internationals. It may seem a nice premise but the reality suggests it would serve the same function as the beaten Real Madrid Castilla and, as Robinson said, do little more than further enhance the bulging gap between the affluent and the rest.

five things from la liga: week twenty-two

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:34:20 +0000

one. one win between the top eight.
Granada’s win against floundering Real Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona’s draw, Malaga’s point against Zaragoza and defeats for Levante, Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis meant that Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win over Los Beticos was the only win for any of La Liga’s top eight heading into the weekend’s fixtures.[[MORE[[

two. espanyol still on the charge.
Since taking charge Mexican Javier Aguirre has led Espanyol on a fantastic run which has seen them lose just once - to city rivals Barcelona. This weekend they beat Levante 3-2 to record their fourth straight win at home and move a few more points away from the bottom three.

three. schuster to replace caparros?
Another weekend, another defeat for Mallorca. This time they lost 3-0 at Anoeta to in-form Real Sociedad. Following the defeat rumours are floating about that time is up for boss Joaquin Caparros and that he will be replaced by Bernd Schuster - watch this space.

four. big win for osasuna
Struggling Osasuna recored a 1-0 win against Celta Vigo, moving out of the bottom three for the first time in a long time.

five. big losses for galicia
That defeat against Osasuna dropped Celta Vigo into the bottom three alongside Mallorca and fellow Galician’s Deportivo la Coruna who themselves suffered a 3-1 defeat to Getafe on Saturday.

danleydon: Here’s a step by step process of how I go from a...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:13:10 +0000

danleydon:

Here’s a step by step process of how I go from a reference photo to a final poster layout.

We’re currently working on a boring article about finances...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:40:20 +0000

We’re currently working on a boring article about finances in La Liga. It led to us making this list on each sides net spend during the current season, as you can see Athletic (+22m) are top and Barcelona (-28.6m) are bottom.

Who said pen and paper was dead?

*currrency is GBP (£)

The past is an illusion: On Beticos, Sevillistas, and stagnation in Southern Spain

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:48:05 +0000

afootballreport:

By John Ray

Over the course of the past six months I’ve spent a considerable amount of time conducting research on both nationalism and market integration in football as part of a long-term thesis project. On January 9th and 10th, I attended both Real Betis and Sevilla’s Copa del Rey matches. The disparate experiences seen in the neighborhoods that house the teams, Heliopolis and Nervion respectively, revealed the lasting effect of the financial crisis on the game and offered a view into the state of the coming years. This micro-level experience fell in line with my macro-level my analyses. First: football responds to the market before the market in economic downturns and slower in recoveries, and second: that regional identities are magnified in times of economic crisis. Oh, and I also had a blast.

My week in Sevilla was a performance piece. I had elaborately designed to evade cultural superstition and sideways glances of nationalistic scorn so that I could see what being a ‘Sevillista’ or a ‘Betico’ really represented to the supporters and the neighborhoods that they represent. I wanted to become an insider, to really see what made these people tick. I stayed the bulk of my time in Nervion where there is no reason for tourists to visit the drab unornamented buildings and spent my time in the gap between tapa and racion. Not a tourist, but definitely not a local. My mission was to be a fly on the wall - I had a great time failing with that as my objective.

Read More

five things from la liga: week twenty

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:57:34 +0000

one. Real Sociedad end Barca’s unbeaten season.
We should have seen it coming. Anoeta has hardly been the happiest of places for Barca to visit in recent years, and on Saturday night that again proved the case. Familiar circumstances dominated the early exchanges, first Messi and then Pedro putting La Blaugrana 2-0 up. Game over? No. Just before half time Chory Castro pulled one back, then in the second half Pique saw red for two (silly but deserved) yellow cards. Castro soon added his second and then in stoppage time Imanol Agirretxe nicked it for La Real - who were very good. It’s the first time Barca have surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose since they lost 4-3 to Atletico in March 2009.

two. Real Madrid return to former glories … too late?
Barca’s loss was capatilised (really?) on by the two Madrid clubs who cut the gap to eight and 15 points. Real were scintilating in their 5-0 win over Valencia - all the goals coming in the first half - and Atletico were Atletico at home to Levante. By winning 2-0 they clinched their TENTH straight clean sheet at home and recorded their twelth straight home win in La Liga - equalling a record set in 1940 when Los Rojiblancos were managed by the founder of this site; Ricardo Zamora.

three. From fourth to eight, no one can win.
We’ve already mentioned the two Valencia club’s failings, but above them in the que for Champions League football no one could manage a win. Rayo Vallecano’s brilliant run of wins came to an end at Granada, 2-0, while neither Real Betis nor Malaga could manage three points - both held 1-1 at home to Athletic Club and Celta Vigo respectively.

four. Javier Aguirre still working magic at Cornella.
It was a great game and a great three points, unfortunately, as a spectator we couldn’t help but feel this is not a great Espanyol side. That said, Mexican Aguirre continues his fine record since taking over. They led 1-0, trailed 2-1 but won 3-2 thanks to Raul Baena’s late winner against visitors Mallorca. It was their third straight win at Cornella and they’ve lost just once since Aguirre took the job. Mallorca end the weekend in the bottom three, Joaquin Caparros bemoaned a lack of luck after the game.

five. No glorious start for Crouching Tiger at Sevilla
Unai Emery’s back. He’s back with a fairly unremarkable point at Getafe. Reyes gave the Andalucian’s the lead before Colunga restored Getafe’s standing in the game and that was that. Emery will look to kick-start things at home to Granada next Monday night.

mauricio pochettino reading...

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:52:56 +0000

Southampton fans may well be deflated to see Nigel Adkins leaving his post as manager after a successful spell which saw two promotions but MP (it’s easier that way) may not be all that bad.

We’ve always liked him here at futbolgrande and in hindsight he may feel he should have taken the Sampdoria or Valencia jobs. Anyway, what his appointment in England does mean is that there’s an influx of good writing on him out there this morning. Check out these links:

Sid Lowe on the Guardian: MP must perform more miracles at Southampton

Samuel Marsden on Bleacher Report: What MP’s appointment means for Southampton and the EPL

David Cartlidge on Mirror Sport: Another Laudrup? The lowdown on MP

espanyol 3-2 mallorca

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:00:01 +0000

Raul Baena scored a late winner as Espanyol clinched a crucial three points against ten-man Mallorca in a relegation battle which had five goals and one red card.

It was the home sides third straight win at Cornella-El Prat, moving them four points above the drop zone - Joaquin Caparros’ side ended the night still in the bottom three.

The game struggled to find any rhythm initially, the earliest notable action was when Espanyol felt Simao’s shot struck the hand of a Mallorca defender, the referee - Carlos Gomez - waved away the protests.

Mallorca’s first chance came shortly after, Giovani Dos Santos fed through, but the Mexican was forced so wide that he could only help the ball back across a penalty area devoid of any red shirts.

A goal didn’t look particularly forthcoming from open play - and it wasn’t. It came from a free-kick, and a very good one at that. Simao, now 33, gave Los Pericos the lead with a free-kick from around 25 yards leaving Dudu Auoate with no chance.

A Mallorca counter soon had them level, Giovani Dos Santos was released through the middle and showed a calm head and plenty of patience as he took his time, picked his spot and equalised for Mallorca.

Dos Santos almost immediately produced a second - forcing a fine save from Casilla. From the resulting corner though, Mallorca did lead. The ball found its way out to Javi Marquez - a summer signing from Espanyol - who hit a speculative volley from all of 35 yards which fizzed past the Espanyol ‘keeper.

Mexican defender Hector Moreno thumped a header against the bar into the second hald and subsititute Samuele Longo’s clever turn and volley forced Mino - who had replaced the injured Aouate - into a good save.

A succession of corners and Espanyol pressure eventually paid off though, the lively Longo winning a penalty following a foul from Nunes. Joan Verdu stepped up and emphatically fired home from 12 yards.

Mallorca’s Antonio Luna - on loan from Sevilla - saw red inside the last ten minutes for a second yellow card and shortly after Espanyol regained the lead.

A shot fired across the box found defensive midfielder Raul Baena making his way forward and at full stretch he was able to connect with the ball and force it home to the delight of the home fans.

Samuele Longo could have made it 4-2 and Tomer Hemed probably should have made it 3-3, but he didn’t and Espanyol hung on for what could prove a vital three points.

Teams

Espanyol (4-2-3-1): 13. K.Casilla; 16. Javi Lopez, 15. H. Moreno, 19. D. Colotto, 18. Capdevila; 6. Forlin, 7. Raul Baena; 11. Rui Fonte (12. Longo 45), 10. J. Verdu (24. Christian 86), 20. Simao; 9. S. S. Garcia (5. Tejera)

Mallorca (4-2-3-1): 13. Auoate (25. R. Mino 62); 8. Nsue, 14. Geromel, 16. Nunes, 23. Kevin (10. Hemed 72); 5. T. Pina, 11. J. Marquez (19. Marti 80); 7. Pereira, 9. Giovani, 20. A. Luna; V. Casadesus.

Subs

Espanyol: 35. German; 2. F. Mattioni, 5. Tejera, 12. Longo, 17. M.Petrov, 24. Christian, 27. V. Alvarez

Mallorca: 25. R. Mino; 4. A. Conceicao, 10. Hemed, 19. Marti, 21. Alfaro, 24. A. Fontas, 27. Ximo

Lionel Messi parades his four Ballon d’Or awards at Camp...

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:24:15 +0000

Lionel Messi parades his four Ballon d’Or awards at Camp Nou before the Copa del Rey match against Malaga.

five things from la liga: week nineteen

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:46:31 +0000

OK, we admit it, we’ve been negligent. Week eighteen admittedly passed with us failing to register a look back on what had actually happened. To all eight of our readers, we are sorry.

BUT. We’re back with a round up from week nineteen - the half way mark in La Liga - and promise not to leave you hanging again. So here it is, the five main talking points from the weekend’s (Friday and Monday included) action…

one. No Ronaldo, no goals.
Wow. Real Madrid did what Real Madrid have struggled to do recently - they kept a clean sheet. The only problem was that so did their opponents, Osasuna. Cristiano Ronaldo missed the match through suspension, he didnt miss much though. A boring ninety minutes hopefully isn’t a sign of what to expect from Los Blancos for the rest of the season with the flag flying at half mast for their title hopes.

two. Barca post best first half of season ever.
Malaga weren’t too bad, but Barca were magnificent as they overpowered them 3-1 at La Rosaleda. What it means is eighteen wins and one draw for La Blaugrana is the best start La Liga’s ever seen. Second place Atleti won 2-0 against Zaragoza, just about keeping a few straws in place for neutrals desperately clutching for a title race.

Michel sacked, Emery appointed.
Sevilla reacted to defeat to Valencia by appointing one of Los Che’s former managers. Unai Emery replaces Michel, who despite great wins against Real Madrid and Real Betis failed to live up to expectations expected at a club like Sevilla. As for Emery, welcome back crouching tiger.

Rayo and Real Betis the neutrals choice for now.
Paco Jemez continues to orchestrate Rayo Vallecano’s free-flowing, attacking and most importantly winning style. On Friday night they followed up a brilliant performance against Getafe by beating Bielsa’s Athletic at San Mames. Betis, meanwhile, beat Levante 2-0 without central midfield duo Beñat and Canas. Joel Campbell and Ruben Castro were pretty tasty though as Los Beticos moved into fourth.

Espanyol out of bottom three.
Javier Aguirre has picked up nine points in six games since taking the hot seat at Espanyol - the same as Pochettino managed in thirteen matches. Their latest three points against Celta took them level with the Galicians and out of the relegation zone for the first time this season. Aguirre insists the hard work s only just getting started.