Barcelona break their streak of draws with a 2-1 win against Real Sociedad, but Real Madrid's victory at Getafe means that the defending champions remain seven points back.
All of the fun in La Liga today was not in the big two. Real Madrid and Barcelona both won, but it wasn't in their usually brilliant manner. Their wins came in a couple of sloppy matches that nobody could have been particularly entertained by. Elsewhere though, there was plenty of fun.
Juan Albin scored in the waning seconds to snatch a point for Espanyol in a thrilling match against Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. With it looking like a sure win for the home side, Albin got free thanks to a pass from Kalu Uche and rocketed a shot off the underside of the crossbar and in to secure a draw for Espanyol in the 90th minutes.
It was Athletic who dominated the early portion of the match and Oscar de Marcos made the scoreboard show it with a 26th minute goal. That lead lasted only seven minutes though as Ndri Romaric equalized then a Vladimir Weiss wondergoal put Espanyol in front just before the half. Fernando Llorente got the home side level again at the hour mark before a Javi Martinez goal put Athletic on the road to a win with 25 minutes to go, but Albin's last equalizer ensured that the points would be split.
Levante no longer look like the Levante side that started the season so incredibly. They continue to drop points and now they look unlikely to even keep pace with Valencia for third place after failing to get a home win on Saturday against Racing Santander. Around Kone headed Levante in front in the first half, but they wasted several other good opportunities and they were made to pay for it Manuel Arana equalized in the second half for the 1-1 draw that will help Racing's bid to avoid relegation.
Mallorca were sent down to nine men, but they still managed to hang on for a 1-0 victory at Son Moix. Chori Castro proved to be the hero as his brilliant free kick struck the post and went across the line for a first half Mallorca lead. It looked like Real Betis' chances of winning were gone when Mario was sent off in the 75th minute, but then red cards to Ivan Ramis and Victor Casadesus made it 10 vs. nine with Betis a man up. They couldn't find an equalizer though and Mallorca earned all three points.
Barcelona, faced with a ten-point gap between themselves and league leaders Real Madrid, needed a win against Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou. Normally, that would be an easy task for the European champions, but the hosts were oddly profligate throughout the match and things were therefore far more stressful than Lionel Messi and company have liked.
Barcelona fielded a very young squad, including Jonathan dos Santos, Cristian Tello, Thiago Alcantara and Isaac Cuenca, and the young guns did well, with Tello opening the scoring seven minutes in with a very nice finish. After the opener, though, they just couldn't seem to find the back of the net - in one implausible series of events Cuenca rattled the crossbar before Tello was denied a goal by the ball deflecting off the obviously offside Dani Alves on the line before hitting the back of the net, and on another Messi rounded Claudio Bravo only to see his shot blocked.
Messi wasn't about to keep wasting chances, though, and he finally got the ball into the back of the net when he volleyed a neat cross by Dani Alves in at the near post, but Barcelona couldn't relax - their lead was instantly reduced to one goal when former Arsenal striker Carlos Vela raced onto a Antoine Griezmann through pass and slotted the ball past Victor Valdes to make it 2-1.
Forced to made defensive substitutes, Pep Guardiola introduced Sergio Busquets for dos Santos, a move that backfired in spectacular fashion when the World Cup winner was stretchered off eight minutes later with a horrible-looking cut. Although Barcelona would see out the win, we're still waiting on news about Busquets - if he goes down their already small squad could be stretched to breaking point.
Real Madrid were not anywhere near their best on Saturday evening, but a very average performance against Getafe was enough to secure three points. Their opponents were much less than average, struggling to get the ball forward and failing to get a shot on target for the entire duration of the match. Los Merengues scored early on a set piece, and they more or less sat on their lead after that to coast to a 1-0 win.
Getafe defended fairly well -- save for one set piece -- but seemed content to merely avoid embarrassment. The one goal and ultimate winner came in the 18th minute, on a header by Sergio Ramos. Mesut Özil provided the assist with an out-swinging corner kick, and Ramos hit a perfect and virtually unsavable header into the back of the net.
Madrid appeared to double their lead in stoppage time when Cristiano Ronaldo tapped in a pass from substitute Jose Maria Callejon, but it was ruled out for offside. That was the second best highlight. Ugly wins are still wins, however, and the pressure is on Barcelona to grab all three points in their match.
For more on Los Merengues, check out Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.
With it looking as though Real Madrid will go ten points clear of Barcelona at the top of the table with a win over Getafe, it's vital for the defending champions to get a win against Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou in order to keep the pace. On paper, that won't be too difficult - Sociedad are in 13th place and the Catalans have only dropped two points at home all year. Of some interest is Barcelona's injury-hit starting lineup, but when you can respond to absences in the centre by deploying Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas... well, things aren't so bad.
Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3): Victor Valdes; Adriano, Javier Mascherano, Carles Puyol, Dani Alves; Jonathan dos Santos, Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara; Lionel Messi, Isaac Cuena, Cristian Tello.
Substitutes from: Jose Manuel Pinto, Ferard Pique, Eric Abidal, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez, Alexis Sanchez, Sergi Roberto.
Real Sociedad starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Claudio Bravo; Cadamuro, Inigo Martinez, Mikel Gonzalez, Carlos Martinez; Mikel Aranburu, Markel Bergara; Antoine Griezmann, Ruben Pardo, Xabi Prieto; Diego Ifran.
Substitutes from: Javier Ariel Rosada, Imanol Agirretxe, Carlos Vela, Daniel Estrada, Joseba Llorente, Vadim Demidov, Tono.
It's a bit chilly in Madrid today, at least by their standards, while Real Madrid are missing a couple of their big stars. Getafe don't usually enjoy great home support, but the crowd should be top-notch for a match against their cross-town rivals. Madrid are very much expected to win comfortably and put Barcelona in another must-win situation to keep pace in La Liga, but a derby in bad weather without Sami Khedira and Angel di Maria won't be a walkover. The good news for Jose Mourinho is that Getafe is missing some first choice players as well, and their team looks a bit makeshift.
Getafe Lineup (4-2-3-1): Moya; Torres, Diaz, Masilela, Valera; Casquero, Rodriguez; Castro, Rios, Barrada; Miku
Real Madrid Lineup (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao; Alonso, Diarra; Özil, Kaka, Ronaldo; Benzema
The game kicks off at 2:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. local time in Madrid. You can catch the game on ESPN Deportes and ESPN3 in the USA, Sky Sports 4 in the UK, and GolTV in Canada.
For more on Los Merengues, check out Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.
Barcelona aren't in terrific form by their standards and they're still missing a number of senior players through injury, but they'll be expecting nothing less than a comfortable win at Camp Nou on Saturday. When the Blaugranas played Real Sociedad earlier in the year at Anoeta, La Real fought to a 2-2 draw in a thrilling match. The rematch in Catalonia should be a much different story.
Real Sociedad are coming off of a 5-1 victory over Sporting Gijon, while Barcelona are coming off of a disappointing 0-0 draw against Villarreal. The Blaugranas have been much better at Camp Nou, however, while Real Sociedad are missing a number of players. David Zurutuza -- who scored a brace last week -- and Gorka Elustondo are out. All of Imanol Agirretxe, Xabi Prieto, Alberto de la Bella and Vadim Demidov are not expected to play and definitely will not start.
Barcelona are without Andres Iniesta, but Thiago Alcantara has proven himself a more than capable replacement. Seydou Keita is still at the Africa Cup of Nations, while David Villa and Ibrahim Afellay remain long-term absentees.
Game Date/Time: Saturday, February 4, 4:00 0.m. ET, 10:00 p.m. local
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
TV: GolTV (USA and Canada), Sky Sports 4 (UK)
For more on the Blaugranas, check out FC Barcelona blog Barca Blaugranes.
With Xabi Alonso hobbled, Sami Khedira out and Nuri Sahin in what seems like virtual exile, Real Madrid could hand another game to Esteban Granero in the center of midfield when they face Getafe in a Madrid Derby on Saturday. His performance against Real Zaragoza was brilliant, and his likely inclusion is perhaps the biggest story surrounding this match.
Marcelo and Angel di Maria will also miss out for Madrid, meaning that Fabio Coentrao will certainly start, while Jose Mourinho is likely to play both of Kaka and Mesut Özil. He could also opt for Jose Maria Callejon, who has performed brilliantly whenever he has been called upon by Mourinho.
Getafe are missing plenty of players of their own through injury and suspension, and without a full-strength team, they won't be given much of a chance to get a good result by the oddsmakers. Dani Guiza and Alberto Lopo are suspended, while Rafa and Michel are expected to miss out on the match due to injury.
Game Date/Time: Saturday, February 4, 2:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. local
Venue: Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, Madrid, Spain
TV: ESPN Deportes (USA - Spanish), GolTV (Canada), Sky Sports 4 (UK)
Online: ESPN3
For more on Los Merengues, check out Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.
It's cold in Spain. Well, it's cold if you're from southern Europe (and not from the north east of the United States). It's all anyone here is talking about--apparently some sort of wind is blowing across the Iberian peninsula from Siberia...I think? Well, it appears that the members of FC Barcelona have...frozen. Kind of. They're not playing any worse, really (they have the same possession as always), but they're just not winning. They've drawn their last three games against lowly sides like Real Madrid, Valencia, and Villarreal (the horror), and they've looked impotent, mediocre, and *gasp* whiny (ironically, the day after Rosell made those comments Barcelona benefited hugely from a refereeing mistake). But does that, and Real Madrid's seven-point Liga lead mean an end to the blaugrana Liga dynasty? Probably not.
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Hey! Here's an exciting match to start off the week! And how much are we going to charge you to watch Fernando Llorente make mincemeat of Espanyol's defense? Well, if you're a radio announcer, you're barred from entry. So that sucks.
Pick: 3-1 to Bilbao.
Mallorca vs. Real Betis
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
I know it's hard to believe...but it's already time to talk about relegation (sorry, everyone but, like, seven teams). Mallorca are only two points above the relegation zone (15th place), while Betis isn't doing tons better at three points above (13th place). [Side note: it's amazing how bottom-heavy this Liga is. There are a whopping 8 teams that could drop down to the relegation zone in one matchday! Even Sevilla, a traditional powerhouse, is only six points out of the relegation zone].
Pick: 0-0 draw, the most common result in Spain.
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
You know what team isn't in danger of being relegated (yet)? Yes, that's right, Mr. Reader! It's Levante! (Ok, I deserve all the things you're muttering to yourself right now. But cut me some slack, I've had a long day). Everyone's favorite hyper-physical, defensive ex-bottom feeder shouldn't have any problems facing a probably-will-get-relegates-and-boy-do-they-deserve-it Racing side. Right?
Pick: 1-0 to Levante.
20:00 CET (2:00 PM EST)
Real Madrid travel to Getafe, a traditional stumbling ground for their arch-rivals...but not for them so much. However, with Pepe, Marcelo, Angel Di Maria, Sami Khedira, and possibly Xabi Alonso nursing injuries, it's possible, however unlikely, that Mourinho's boys will drop some points (and be ready to cue the "IMPROBABLE BARCELONA COMEBACK!!!1!1!" headlines from Goal.com if that happens). It's also important to remember that Real Madrid's second squad cost a combined €234,000,000 (yes, that's not true, but the fact that you stopped to think about it just proves my point).
Pick: 1-3 to Real Madrid. Ho hum.
Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad
22:00 CET (4:00 PM EST)
Ah, nothing like the sweet, sweet Camp Nou to heat up some "frozen" boots. Sure, Barcelona's a bit banged up, and yes, they've managed three draws in their past three games...but do you really expect them to continue that against Real Sociedad? And at the Camp Nou? No. Chance.
Pick: 5-0 to Barcelona. I'm tired of predictions.
12:00 CET (6:00 AM EST)
I'd like to call for a moment of silence to mourn the departure of Manolo Preciado as Sporting's head coach. A former favorite of mine, Preciado was at Sporting's helm for almost 10 years. He first came to my attention on a higher level last season, when he fired a water bottle at Real Madrid's team bus while yelling profanity at José Mourinho after a contentious match. I then proceeded to spend an entire podcast calling him "Manuel" and insinuating that he was drunk. I might not be the best person.
Pick: 0-2 to Osasuna.
18:00 CET (12:00 PM EST)
Ah, Sevilla. They're not having the best season, are they? Sitting in 11th place, they're only 6 points above the relegation zone; but they're also only three points behind Athletic for a spot in the Europa League. Wait, really? Yes, it's true: it's almost as if our duopoly of Real Madrid and Barcelona is hurting the other teams by hoarding points. Real Madrid has twice as many points as Sevilla. You know what? I'm just gonna say it. #occupylaliga! We are the 99% (of teams in Spain)!
Pick: 2-1 to Sevilla.
19:45 CET (1:45 PM EST)
Rayo is still having a sneaky-good season (and by sneaky-good I mean "not in the relegation zone"). That could all change with a loss to Zaragoza. Seriously.
Pick: 1-2 to Rayo.
21:30 CET (3:30 PM EST)
And here you have it folks, your game of the week. A resurgent Atleti ushering in the Simeone era on the boots of Radamel Falcao taking on a Valencia side that'll be looking to build on an impressive performance against Barcelona in the middle of the week? Yes, please, I'll take two.
Pick: 2-2 draw. Que viva el fútbol!
21:00 CET (3:00 PM EST)
I don't really understand why...but Málaga has had a ton of Monday games. Somehow this feels unfair. But I don't know against whom. Oh, well. But hey, it's always fun to watch Ruud van Nistelrooy beat up on relegation-fodder, right? And hey, maybe Julio Baptista will pull off another awesome bicycle kick. Oh, wait, sources are now confirming that he has been injured since 2011.
Pick: 1-2 to Málaga.
Gruesome Sergio Busquets Injury Not As Serious As Initially Feared
When Sergio Busquets was stretchered off the pitch at the Camp Nou, it looked like the Barcelona player would be facing a very lengthy layoff. Carlos Martinez came down on Busquet's leg, leaving him with a very deep and very gruesome cut on his leg. Cesc Fabregas looked horrified at the injury and Pep Guardiola didn't look much better, but the report from Guardiola in the post-match interview was incredible.
"When Busquets complained, I feared the worst," the Barcelona manager said after the match. "He has a very deep cut, but we hope he can make it on Wednesday."
Exactly how Busquets might be able to play on Wednesday is beyond pretty much anyone who saw the injury. It looked horrible, but apparently it is just an incredibly deep cut that will be stitched up and Busquets will be ready to go. It's mind-boggling, but fantastic news for Busquets and Barcelona, who still have seven points to make up on Real Madrid in La Liga, plus UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey action coming up.
Feb 04 10:42p by Ryan Rosenblatt - 0 comments