Spanish Debate: Is The Liga Over?

Yes, OK, I'll say it: the Liga race is over.

That's not to say that there won't be more twists and turns, and that my debate isn't worth reading until the new season (heaven forbid!), and that they could be run close. But Barcelona are going to win the Primera Division.

It's hardly a massive revelation, although it is difficult for me to say, given that I tipped Real Madrid to win the Liga (and Bernd Schuster to win Coach of the Year award!). But Barcelona are just doing it right, and there is no sign of their stopping.

Pep Guardiola's mixture of youth and experience has undone so many of the frailties of last season, and his squad are clearly responding to his style. Barcelona are going out and scoring chances that last season they would have blazed wide. And what is more, there is the absence of a real challenger.

Salgado's Statement

Real Madrid may be saying that they can still win the Liga, but they will not, and perhaps nobody knows it more than them.

Sure, the faithful will point to Michel Salgado's statement of defiance last week, but let us remember who was issuing similar utterances the last two seasons: Barcelona.

Last summer is a good case in point. "We can do it!" - that was the manifesto. Joan Laporta shouted it from the rooftops and loyal newspapers pressed it into service as a headline.

In the end it was, just like a headline, all sound and no action. Barcelona could not do it for any number of reasons: injuries, a lame duck manager, an inferior squad, and above all a crippling sense of self-doubt.

These have all, at differing times this season, plagued Real Madrid, and although Bernd Schuster has been forced out in favour of Juande Ramos this change will not be enough to fully reverse the trend. The injury situation remains too grave; the lack of confidence that bred errors earlier in the season has already blazed its tragic trail; and after holding out for 83 minutes and still losing at the weekend, all talk of an 'improved performance' must be countered by the fact that, well, Madrid still lost.

Second Best

But why the focus on Real Madrid? Keen observers might just notice that there are four other teams between the blancos and the summit - surely they deserve a mention too.

They do, and to my mind one in particular does above all others. That is Sevilla. The Andalucians may have just managed a one goal win over Villarreal at the weekend, but they were well worth it, and the confidence that oozed from their play shows that they are not going to be taken lightly in the business end of the season.

The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan side have recovered from losing arguably their two best non-striker players over the summer by getting off to a rip-roaring start, and more impressively yet Manolo Jimenez has effectively silenced almost all of his doubters.

Valencia are another side in with an outside shot, as are Villarreal, but in the latter case a Champions League campaign could prove a bridge too far, while Los Che still have a couple of weak links to fix before they can be title contenders - as do Atletico Madrid.

So to my mind it lies with Real Madrid - who aren't going to be able to reduce the deficit - and Sevilla to mount a convincing challenge.

It's a smile-worthy twist of fate that the very side Juande Ramos left is the one that could pip his Real Madrid side to second place. And that's all it will be, because Barcelona have it sewn up.

Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com


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Villarreal Have An Opportunity Against Barcelona - Godín

Villarreal are going through a bit of a bad run at the moment and their loss to Sevilla at the weekend dropped them to fourth in the table.

To make things worse, El Submarino Amarillo, must now face Barcelona - but for Diego Godín it is an opportunity rather than a problem.

"On Sunday we have a chance at home to recover our good play and to win," he told Marca.

"Above all, we need to recover our confidence and to show that we have not just been at the top by chance and that we go there again."

Certainly Villarreal will need to improve greatly if they are to beat Barcelona, following losses to Celtic and Sevilla and a draw against Getafe.

Godín believes that one of the problems at the moment is they are trying too hard to win, and hence are causing themselves trouble.

"It is costing us to try and create chances and I believe that until we recover our identity in that area, we will not be able to recover our play. That is our style and that is how we get results," he mused.

"When we recover our confidence and the football to play around the box, then the team will recover their identity."

Indeed, a loss to Barcelona could well see them slip out of the Champions League places at Christmas time, and the defender was slightly at a loss to explain what has happened.

"I do not know if we are tired or are just in a bad run of form, but the results are not coming," he concluded.

James Walker-Roberts, Goal.com


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Real Madrid To Hook Portsmouth's Diarra?

Real Madrid are reportedly lining up a bid for Portsmouth's French midfielder Lassana Diarra, according to Sky Sports News.

The former Arsenal and Chelsea player has been the subject of almost constant transfer speculation this season, particularly after the departure of Harry Reknapp from the Portsmouth manager's job.

Rumours of financial instability continue to surround the Fratton Park outfit, and the cash that a club like Real could pay would be very much appreciated by Pompey.

The Spanish giants could face some significant English competition for the player's signature from newly wealthy Manchester City though, whose manager Mark Hughes is keen to boost his midfield options.

New Madrid manager Juande Ramos is reportedly an admirer of Diarra, having seen the player in action whilst he was the manager at Tottenham Hotpsur. With Mahamadou Diarra currently unavailable at El Santiago Bernebeu due to injury, Ramos is keen to bring in a defensive midfielder and the Portsmouth man would seem to fit the bill.

Diarra joined Portsmouth for £5 million in January 2008 but would likely jump at the chance of playing for the Spanish giants.

Zack Wilson, Goal.com

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Chelsea's Deco Keen To Face Barcelona

Deco has today revealed that should Chelsea face Barcelona in the Champions League knockout phase then he will be delighted.

Chelsea will find out on Friday who they will meet, and due to the fact that they finished second in their group, they may very well be in line for a clash with the Catalan giants, with whom Deco spent the bulk of his career with before moving to England.

"If we have to play against Barcelona, for me it would be special because I was there for four years," Deco told the Sunday Mirror.

"But now I'm at Chelsea and I just want us to win whatever happens.

"We don't know yet if we will play them. But if we want to go far in the tournament it's always likely we'll meet them if not now then in the semi-finals or even the final."

But there is no question of divided loyalties for the Brazilian born player who now holds Portuguese citizenship.

"It would be interesting, but now I'm at Chelsea I fight for Chelsea," he explained, before going on to state how happy he is in London, despite his recent dip in form after a scintillating beginning to this campaign. He also knows, however, that Chelsea's form will have to improve if they want to fulfill the club's ambition of capturing Europe's biggest prize.

"I'm happy to be here. Barcelona was important in my life, but now it's different. If I have to play against Barcelona, I would play like I do in every game," added the player.

"I'm very happy at Chelsea and I think we are going well.

"I agree we need to play even better to progress, but I think we will."

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at home today by West Ham United, leaving them second in the Premier League table, a point behind leaders Liverpool.

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Zack Wilson, Goal.com

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Roman Martinez: We Can Get Espanyol Out Of Relegation Dogfight

Espanyol suffered another defeat on Saturday evening, going down 2-1 to Valencia after Rufete was red-carded, and the result leaves the Barcelona club precariously above the Primera Division drop-zone

It is now no win in seven games, and new coach Mane has been instilled to attempt to halt the slide after former manager Tintin Marquez was shown the door after just thirteen games in charge.

Now midfielder Roman Martinez has assured the fans that there is enough quality at the club to drag the club out of their current predicament.

The 25-year old said, "The coach is asking us to play together as a team, and to not worry about the opposition, but just to go out and try to get the victory.

"We are improving now we know what the coach wants, I think we have increased the level of performance and we must continue in this way."

He pointed to the fact that Espanyol went ahead against Los Che, before the dismissal of Rufete completely changed the match, and Raul Albiol and Vicente grabbed the goals to give the home side the victory.

Martinez grabbed the goal to put Espanyol ahead in the match, and believes that is the side continue to show similar levels of commitment then the victories will begin to come.

He was personally happy with his goal, saying, "The result has made me feel better and more positive about our chances. I am happy that I managed to get a goal but I am disspointed it could not give us the victory."

Espanyol are currently in 17th place in La Liga with thirteen points from fifteen matches.

Paul Macdonald



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Player Ratings: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Real Betis

ATLETICO MADRID

Leo Franco – 6: Only had a few routine saves to make. Did look a bit shaky with high balls and crosses.

Perea – 7.5: Made at least two or three vital interceptions and tackles in the centre of defence. Didn’t have too much to do down the right and spent most of the evening as an extra centreback.

Heitinga – 7: Nervous defending from the Dutchman initially but as the game wore on he grew more confident.

Ujfalusi – 6: A very subdued performance. Quietly stayed back to tidy up any loose balls. Made no more than two tackles the entire game.

Pernia – 7: A real menace in attack. Constantly overlapping down the left wing to help out in attack. Took a few cracks at goals from distance, but he didn’t have his shooting boots on this evening. Wasn’t troubled too much defensively.

Maxi–7.5: Very involved in attack. Combined well with his fellow midfielders and always available to play that extra short pass to carve up the Betis defence. Scored a cracking opening goal and could have had at least another from an identical set-up.

Assuncao – 7: Made an absolutely critical block on the goal line late in the first half to ensure Atleti go into the break in the lead. Made an equally crucial tackle early in the second half, albeit it almost ended with an own goal.

Maniche – 8.5: Commanded the midfield, if not the entire game, brilliantly. Directed almost every single one of Atletico’s attacks and an ever-present threat himself with his overlapping runs into the box. Assisted Maxi’s opener with a delightful chipped through ball.

Simao – 6.5: A very quiet first half display. Picked up his game in the second half and looked very energetic for a brief period with his darting runs down the left wing.

Aguero – 8: Almost impossible to stop whenever he had the ball. Drifted all across the midfield to open up spaces and create chances for his teammates. Rarely seen inside the box but on the rare occasion he was there, he finished with aplomb.

Forlan – 6.5: Looked off-colour in the first half. Didn’t find himself with too many scoring chances. Played an exquisite through ball on the turn to set up El Kun’s goal.

Substitutes:

Raul Garcia – 6: Brought it to strengthen the midfield and he did his job to stifle Betis’ late charge.

Banega – 5: Like Raul Garcia, he was introduced merely to tighten up the middle of the park after the points were secured.

Luis Garcia–N/A

REAL BETIS

Casto – 6.5: Failed to cut down the angle at his near post and allowed Maxi to score the opener. But he made up for it with a series of excellent, brave saves. Nothing much he could have done about the second goal.

Nelson – 6: Had a fascinating battle with his compatriot Simao down the right flank. Bombarded the opposing half frequently in the first period but penned back in the second. A cynical foul on Simao got him booked, which may have influenced his coach’s decision to substitute him.

Arzu – 6.5: Kept it very tight at the back and combined well with Juanito. Shadowed Forlan closely throughout the evening and barely allowed him any space or time to shot infront of goal.

Juanito – 6: Marshalled his defence well whenever Atletico attacked and co-ordinated the backline to perfection early in the game to draw the offside call on numerous occasions. But that gamble ultimately backfired as both of Atleti’s goals came from through balls which split the staticrearguard.

Fernando Vega – 6.5: Streamed forward generously and . Pumped in a few threatening crosses, especially from set pieces, none of which his teammates could finish.

Capi – 5: Played as the link-up man between defence and offence but his impact was minimal. Wasted numerous attacking build-up with stray passes and overhit through balls.

Aurelio – 6.5: Worked hard all night and recovered a number of balls for Betis in midfield but he was no match for Maniche and Assuncao.

Damia – 5: Often a threat with his crosses, he was largely anonymous throughout the contest and hardly made a telling contribution. Doubled as a rightback after Nelson was withdrawn.

Emana – 7: Drew countless fouls and hardly given any time on the ball. Had to drop deep into his own half to win possession and wasn’t allowed to show his true attacking potential.

Juanma –6: Very lively and dangerous down the left. Constantly bombarded the Atleti goal with crosses and cutbacks and he even had a few decent scoring chances of his own.

Sergio Garcia – 5: Playing as the lone frontman, he drifted in and out of the game. Spurned at least three glorious scoring opportunities.

Substitutes:

Xisco – 5.5: Momentarily sparked Betis’ attack to life when he came on for Nelson. But his influence quickly waned as the Atleti defence tightened up.

Segura – 6: Had a chance to draw level for Betis in the second half when his looping header past Leo Franco just missed the target by inches at the back post.

Melli – N/A

KS Leong, Goal.com

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Valencia Defeat Ten Man Espanyol

Valencia eventually won three points against Espanyol on Saturday night, having thrown the proverbial kitchen sink at them for the duration of the game.

Valencia lined up in their usual formation, but the main talking point was the return to fitness of David Silva, who took his place on the bench.

Espanyol, meanwhile, chose Jose Callejón up front in place of the injured Raul Tamudo, and he was supported by Nené, Luis García and Rufete.

First Half

As expected, Valencia came out of the blocks and dominated from the first minute, with Espanyol barely able to get a touch on the ball. There was ample space on both flanks for the home side, and it was clear that this would be their main point of attack. The opening exchanges were characterized by a flurry of crosses by Los Che, but it was Espanyol who had the first chance, when Nené's shot from the left was well saved by Renan.

That chance was an aberration though, as Valencia continued to monopolise possession. It was, for all intents and purposes, Valencia vs Carlos Kameni, as the Cameroonian keeper was frequently called upon to save the day. Espanyol were powerless to stop Valencia's rampaging runs, but Los Che were not creating the amount of chances that their possession warranted. The final ball was lacking, but it seemed to be a mere matter of time before they got it right.

Still Valencia continued to press, but their profligacy was starting to look as though it might come back to haunt them. That proved to be the case on 28 minutes, when Espanyol scored with their first meaningful shot of the match. Valencia lost the ball to Roman Martinez on the half-way line, and the Argentine midfielder strode forwards in acres of space, before unleashing a shot towards goal. It took a wicked deflection off Raul Albiol and nestled into the top-right hand corner, leaving Renan with no chance and silencing the Mestalla in the process. It was an unfortunate way to concede, but Valencia had only themselves to blame for not converting their earlier chances.

The home team continued to press forward after conceding, but they did not genuinely look like putting the ball past Kameni. Then, on 38 minutes, the game took a twist when Rufete was inexplicably sent off after picking up his second yellow card. The referee was of the opinion that the ex-Valencia player had deliberately handled the ball, but replays showed his inference to be a frankly ridiculous one. Espanyol were now down to ten men, and there was no excuse left for Valencia not to claim some points from this game.

On 43 minutes, Juan Mata came closer than anyone before him had to equalising, but yet again, Kameni was alert and raced off his line to grab the ball off the forward's feet, after he had broken clear of the defence. The keeper was having an inspired game, and it was largely down to him that Espanyol went in to the break ahead.

Second Half

The second period started in similar vein to the first, with Valencia enjoying even more space due to the one-man advantage. They still looked toothless in attack though, and, sensing a chance, Unai Emery brought Fernando Morientes on for Manuel Fernandes barely five minutes into the half. Mane responded almost immediately by bringing Torrejon on for the goalscorer Martinez. If there was any doubt as to which half of the pitch the remainder of the match would be played in, these substitutions set the game up for an all-out Valencia attack.

On 57 minutes, Valencia finally found the back of the net, just when it looked like their efforts might be in vain. Espanyol failed to clear Mata's corner, and the ball found its way through a mass of heads to Raul Albiol, who volleyed expertly past Kameni. Sensing blood, Emery threw on David Silva, replacing the largely ineffective Joaquin.

By this point, Espanyol had given up all thoughts of attack, and were resigned to half an hour of intense defence. They would have taken a point before the match, and were determined to earn it. David Silva, while clearly not completely match-fit, added another dimension to the attack with his supreme vision. His combinations with Villa in particular were too much for Espanyol, but the attacks invariably broke down at the last second.

The game was being played almost exclusively in the Espanyol box, but as time ran out, the frustration among the home side was evident. With 15 minutes left, Emery made his last change, replacing Mata with Vicente. Again, Mane responded immediately, swapping Callejón with Valdo. While Valdo was technically the furthest man forward, he was really the tenth defender.

Valencia continued to press, and their persistence was finally rewarded with ten minutes left, when a flowing move ended with Vicente slotting home under Kameni. After some intricate build-up, the ball found its way to the super-sub virtually on the left touchline, and he coolly placed the ball under the keeper to send the crowd wild.

Having been on the back foot for so long, Espanyol were simply not equipped to change tempo and attack for the last five minutes. Predictably, Valencia held on to the ball and closed out the result.

Having been slaughtered last week, it was important for Valencia to pick up three points, and, despite the time it took, they will be pleased with their performance.

Espanyol, meanwhile, slip further into the drop zone, and it would take a brave man to bet against them playing in La Segunda next season.

Valencia 2-1 Espanyol
Raul Albiol 57 Roman Martinez 28
Vicente 80

Valencia: Renan - Miguel, Albiol, Marchena, Moretti - Albelda, Manuel Fernandes (Morientes 52) - Joaquín (David Silva 60), Baraja, Mata (Vicente 74), Villa

Espanyol: Kameni - Lacruz (Lola 84), Jarque, Pareja, Beranger - Hurtado, Martinez (Torrejon 55) - Rufete, Luis Garcia, Nene - Callejón (Valdo 74)

Yellow Cards: Rufete 10, Martinez 20, Manuel Fernandes 32, Lacruz 62, Pareja 92, Miguel 92

Red Cards: Rufete 38

Arjun Miglani, Goal.com



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