La Liga Gameweek 8: Winners/Losers – Moyes Under Pressure

t was another feisty week of full weekend after a two week international break, and here we are once again discussing the winners and losers from the game day 8 in the La Liga BBVA.

Winners

 Celta Vigo

First in the list of winners for the game day 09 in the La Liga BBVA features Eduardo Berizzo’s Celta Vigo, who managed to win a tough away fixture against Marcelino Garcia Toral’s Villareal.

In a tough fixture away from home, the winning team was on the ball straight away, and took away the lead in the 40^th minute. However, a red card right after the 1^st half, went in the favor of the visitors.

But even then, visitors had to grind it hard and got the winner in the last minute of the regular time. Eduardo Berizzo would be glad to take away all 3 points back home from a match where he would have been pleased to even get a point from this fixture.

Atletico Madrid

Next in the list of winners for the game day 09 in the La Liga BBVA features Diego Simeone’s Athletico Madrid, who managed to win a crucial match away from home to stay in the title’s race.

In a match where the defense of the visitors was put to test, Simeone’s men came out with flying color and manage to register a comprehensive win on the road. Star of the show for the visitors was Frenchman Antonio Griezmann, who is proving to be a real star for the Spanish giants this season.

Barcelona

Last in the list of winners for the game day 09 in the La Liga BBVA features Luis Enrique’s Barcelona, who thrashed Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou.

The most impressive thing about Barcelona’s victory was the fact that Luis Enrique’s side is currently under pressure due to different injuries, but they didn’t let that affect their squad at the weekend.

Star of the show for the home side was Brazilian star Neymar, who stood up in the absence of Lionel Messi and get past 4 times against a crumbling Vallecano’s defense. A win would have given a much needed belief to the defending champions, who were facing tough times after being put under pressure after injuries to different players.

Losers

Villareal

First in the list of losers for the game day 09 in the La Liga BBVA features Marcelino Garcia’s Villareal, who lost to Celta Vigo at home, which saw them sliding down to 5^thin the league.

Garcia’s men were top of the table just a few weeks back, but after consecutive defeats there is a lot to think for the manager as to what he should do to turn it around.

However, there is some positive sign for the home team, as their resilience after going a goal down and getting down to 10 men, Garcia’s men were able to come on equal terms and nearly got a point in what was a tough fixture at home. Garcia will hope that the kind of character that was shown by his team even after going a goal down will help them turn around their form in the weeks to come.

Real Sociedad

Next in the list of losers for the game day 09 in the La Liga BBVA features David Moyes’s Real Sociedad, who suffered another defeat and the pressure is mounting on the Welshman after his side’s poor start to the season.

Moyes will be bitterly disappointed in a match where his team had most of the possession, had more shots on goals and had more corners, but couldn’t able to capitalize on the chances. Moyes knows that the time is running out for him and he needs to turn it around quickly if he has to stay in charge of the club for a long time.

Eibar

Last in the list of losers for the game day 09 in the La Liga BBVA features Luis Mendilibar’s Eibar, who will be bitterly disappointed after controlling most of the match after taking an early lead, but lost 2 crucial points because of an error from Spanish Goal Keeper Asier Riesgo, which lead to the equalizer. Mendilibar’s side remained pretty much in the control throughout, and the manager will hope that his players will learn a lesson or two from the draw, and will be able to put up a more disciplined performance in a tough fixture when they will visit Camp Nou next weekend.

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com.

La Liga Gameweek 7: Winners/Losers – Barcelona Suffering

Match Day 07 in the La Liga BBVA featured some close games, some upsets and some predictable results, which was worth watching for, especially before a two week International Break. Here we are summing up the action from match day 07 in  La Liga BBVA in our winners and losers reviews of the week.

Winners:

Sevilla

First in the list of winners for the match day 07 in the La Liga BBVA features impressive Sevilla, who managed to pull off a great win against defending champions Barcelona at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. The home side took full advantage of the injury prone Catalan’s side, who looked out of sort for most of the part. It was Sevilla’s 2^ndconsecutive league win, which now sees them sitting in the 12^th spot, 2 points clear of the relegation zone. The star of the night for Unai Emry’s men was Danish left winger Krohn – Dehli, who provided an assist and scored a goal in a 2-1 victory over the Spanish giants.

Getafe

Next in the list of winners for the match day 07 in the La Liga BBVA features resilient Getafe, who managed to get a draw against a Celta Vigo side, who thrashed Barcelona few weeks ago at the same venue. Getafe went into the match knowing very well that they would have to show the attitude of real resilience to get anything out of it, and their defensive line did just that. The star of the show for the away side was Goalkeeper Guaita, who managed to pull off some great saves to keep a clean sheet, which proved to be enough for the Fran Escriba side to take a hard fought point back home.

Levante

Last in the list of winners for the match day 07 in the La Liga BBVA feature impressive Levante, who managed to pull off their first win of the season, and that too came against the league leaders, Villareal. The home side was given a big favor in the 36^thminute, when the Villareal left back Jokic was sent off, that proved the turning point in the match for Lucas Alcaraz’s men. Hero of the match for the home side was the young Brazilian striker Deyverson, who scored a late winner for Levante who climb two positions up to the 18^th, after clinching their first win of the season.

Losers:

Barcelona:

First in the list of losers for the match day 07 in the La Liga BBVA features defending Champions Barcelona, who is now clearly suffering from the lack of depth in their squad on the back of a lot of injuries in the recent past. Luis Enrique’s side was below par in a battle where they did not look like a team that won the treble last season. Injuries to Iniesta and Rafinha exposed their depth in the squad, and the departure of Pedro to Premier League giants Chelsea already seemed a bad deal, as there are no replacements available in case of an injury to any one out of MSN. Neymar was the standout for the Catalans, as he had very little support from Luis Suarez, who had an occasional night off.

Celta Vigo

Next in the list of the losers for the match day 07 in the La Liga BBVA features Celta Vigo, who couldn’t break through the defense of Getafe in what was an expected victory for the home side, especially considering their performance against the defending champions at the same venue. Eduardo Berizzo’s men remained in total control of the match throughout, but even after having 18 shots on goal, out of which 7 were on target, Celta couldn’t able to break the resilient defense of the visitors, which dented their hope to reclaim the top spot in the league this week.

Villareal

Last in the list of losers for the match day 07 in the La Liga BBVA features league leaders Villareal, who even after their first defeat of the season, finished the week at the top of the league, mainly thanks to a draw in the Madrid Derby. Marcelino Garcia will be bitterly disappointed after losing a match against a side, who were at the bottom in the league, and was still on a hunt for their first victory. The visitors had to face a setback in the 36^th minute, when Slovenian left back Bojan Jokic received a red card, and the visitors were down to 10 men with nearly an hour left to play. Garcia’s men tried all they could to get a point to take back home, but it was a late goal from young Brazilian striker Deyvorson, which proved enough to end a near perfect run for the visitors.

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com.

La Liga Gameweek 6: Winners/Losers – Madrid Flop

With 3 matches in a week, the action La Liga BBVA is heating up and teams are looking to cement their place in the top half of the league. With the action heating up, so is our winners and losers from match day 06 in La Liga BBVA.

Winners:

 Malaga

First in the list of winners for the Match Day 06 in La Liga BBVA features Malaga, who managed to get an impressive nil – nil draw at the Santiago Bernabue against a star studded Real Madrid. This result becomes even more impressive looking at the fact that the visitors had to play last 10 + minutes with 10 men. Star of the show for visitors was their man between the sticks, Carlos Kameni, who managed some crucial saves, along with the Captain Weligton, who proved to be the real leader in crunch times, which proved vital as Javier Garcia men took a point back home, which would have felt nothing less than a victory.

Villareal

Second in the list of winners for the Match Day 06 in La Liga BBVA features the new league leader Villareal, who continued their impressive start to their new campaign with a 1-0 victory over Athletico Madrid. Before the match, there was a sense that Villareal might be able to upset the former League Champions, and the doubts were turned into a reality when an early goal from Leo Baptistao proved enough for the yellow submarine to earn all three points. The real star of the show for the home side was their Goalkeeper Areola, who managed some crucial saves for the winning side. A win also meant that Villareal is now top of the league, a point above Barcelona, which is an achievement itself for Garcia Toral side, and he would hope that this will make way for a return to European competition next season.

Sevilla

Last in the list of winners for the Match Day 06 in La Liga BBVA features Unai Emery’s Sevilla, who finally managed to get their first win of this new campaign. Before the match, Unai Emery was under pressure as his side was in the relegation zone, but a crucial win at the weekend means that his job is safe for now. The match was pretty much evenly balanced, as both teams had plenty of shots on goal. However, it was the winner from the substitute Konoplyanka in the 86^th minute, which proved the deciding goal of the match. Unai Emery will hope that this win will kick start their new campaign, and he will look to get back into the top half once again with more impressive shows in the matches to come.

Losers

Real Madrid

First in the list of losers for the Match Day 06 in La Liga BBVA features Real Madrid, who once again looked toothless in their attacking game, for which they were renowned for. After having more than 25 shots on goals, and with more than 10 shots on target, Benitez has some serious work to do before El Classico and Madrid Derby. Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t get his 500^th professional goal, whereas a lot of chances went missing for the Los Blancos. With a draw, Madrid has also lost the top spot to Villareal, and is now placed at 3^rd, behind Barcelona.

Athletico Madrid

Second in the list of losers for the Match Day 06 in La Liga BBVA features another Madrid giants in Athletico Madrid, who lost a crucial away game against Villareal away from home. Coming into this match, Diego Simeone’s man was in a pretty good form of late, and were hoping to at least take a point back home from a difficult fixture. However, their attacking performance was once again questioned by the Villareal defense, as a goal in the 14^th minute proved enough for the home side to grab all three points. New signing Martinez had a disappointing night, as Simeone will hope for a better show from his new singing in the matches to come.

Real Sociedad

Last in the list of losers for the Match Day 06 in La Liga BBVA features David Moyes’s Real Sociedad, who were held at home for a nil – nil draw by a struggling Athletic Bilbao. Sociedad manager David Moyes was under serious pressure couple of weeks back, and he would have been hoping to get a better result in a home fixture, that too against a team that looked short on confidence on the back of some poor results. However, the home side were unable to break the deadlock and couldn’t convert to any significant chance throughout the match. Moyes will hope that his strikers will come to the party in the matches to come, as he will look to steer the ship towards safety once again this season.

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com.

La Liga Gameweek 4: Winners/Losers – Betis Flying High

Match Day 04 in La Liga had some delicate touches, and had some nasty battles as teams tried to get as many points as possible. We will talk about all the important actions in our weekly Winners and Losers from the La Liga Match Day 04.

 

Winners:

Real Betis

First in the list of winners is a surprise inclusion in the form of Real Betis, who continued their impressive start of the season after earning a hard fought draw at Mestalla stadium while playing away from the home. The importance of the draw even become more significant considering the fact that Pepe Mel side had to play nearly all of the 2^nd half with 10 men after midfielder Daniel Ceballos received 2^ndyellow of the match in the 48^th minute.

The star of the show for the away side was their center back Heiko Westermann, who, along with Goal Keeper played a hugely significant part in what could prove to be a precious point at the end of the season.

 

Celta Vigo

Next in the list of winners for the match day 04 in BBVA La Liga features Celta Vigo, who won an impressive game away from home against 2 time consecutive Europa League winner Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. Sevilla always proved to be a tough opponent to deal at home, but Eduardo Berizzo’s men were up to the task and were two nil up inside the first 30 minutes of the match, which proved enough to seal all three points for the away side.

The star of the show for the winners were their left sided attacking Spanish midfielder Nolito, who had an assist and a goal to his name in a famous away victory for the sky blues, as they will look to push for a spot in Europe next season.

 

Atletico Madrid

Last in the list of winners for the match day 04 in BBVA La Liga features Diego Simeone’s Athletico Madrid, who once again showed their true color in an away match against Eibar. Simeone’s man looked totally in command throughout the match and were in full command right from the beginning. Simeone’s man had more possession, more shots on goal, and look absolutely in command, both defensively and offensively.

The most pleasing thing for the Spanish giants is the signs of revival of the old Fernando Torres, who went missing for a very long time, but so far had 2 goals in 4 appearances for the red & white, and Simeone will hope that his star striker will carry on his good form for the rest of the season.

 

Losers:

Valencia

First in the list of losers for the Match day 04 in BBVA La Liga features Valencia, who could not able to get all three points against a new promoted visiting Real Betis. The result becomes even more disappointing for the home side as they had the numerical advantage in the 2^nd half after the visitors were down to 10 men in the 48^th minute.

However, Nuno Santo’s side couldn’t able to break the deadlock after considerable chances against the opposition. This is the 2^nd consecutive disappointing result for the home side within a week, as they lost to Zenit in the Champions League opener just a few days at home. Nuno Santo’s side will need to get their act together if they are to qualify for the Champions League against next season, as their start is being disappointing after his team managed to win only 1 out of first 4 league matches.

 

Sevilla:

Next in the list of losers for the Match Day 04 in the BBVA La Liga features Unai Emery’s Sevilla, who lost at home against visiting Celta Vigo. Sevilla, who under Unai Emery had tremendous success domestically as well as on the European stage, would have hoped to win their first match of the campaign, failed to live up to their expectations and were truly the 2^nd best in the match.

This is Sevilla’s 2^nd defeat in 4 matches, and pressure is mounting on Sevilla’s head coach, as they currently lie on the bottom of the table with 2 points in 4 league games. Unai Emery will have to turn it around quickly or he might face a potential exit from the club.

Real Sociedad

Last in the list of losers for the match day 04 in the BBVA La Liga seaon 2015/16 features David Moyes Real Socieddad, who lost another game and are now in the relegation battle after managed to earn only 2 points from the first 4 league matches of the new campaign. David Moyes’s side were in control till the 42^nd minute of the first half, when Goal Keeper Ruli was sent off and the whole complexion of the game changed.

Sergio Gonzalez’s Espanyol made full use of the numerical advantage and first equalized in the 44^th minute and then took a lead in the 2^nd half. Moyes’s man got the equalizer in the 86^th minute, but 4 minutes conceded the 3^rd goal which proved enough for the visitors to take all three points back home. Moyes will have to turn around quickly before pressure started to mount on his position at the club.

This article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com.

La Liga Gameweek 3 – Winners/Losers

After a couple of weeks off due to International Break, La Liga was back in full action this weekend, and so are we with the list of Winners and Losers from La Liga Game Day 3, which is stated below.

Winners:

Barcelona

Barcelona feature in the winner’s category for game day three, where they ended up as a winner in a tough fixture against Athletico Madrid. Even though the match in terms of stats, were pretty equally distributed between the two teams.

However, Athletico took a lead in the 51^st minute through Fernando Torres, but the reigning champions were not ready to go down without a fight and eventually came out as a winner with a breathtaking free kick from Neymar and a late goal from a very delighted once again father, Lionel Messi.

Real Madrid

Next in the list of winner’s for the game day three in La Liga is red hot Real Madrid. Madrid faced Espanyol on the road, which was a relatively easy fixture away from home, but Madrid made it look far easier than we all thought at the beginning. Playing without creative James Rodriguez, Real looked totally in control from the beginning and went three – nil up inside the first 20 minutes, thanks to ever reliable Cristiano Ronaldo.

Bale and Benzema were also in sublime form along with Ronaldo, who himself scored 5 goals in a match and became the highest scorer in La Liga for Real Madrid, surpassing club legend Raul in just 6 season after his record move from Manchester United in 2009. Real will hope to carry on this momentum into the Champions League opening fixture, where they will play against Shakhtar Donestk on Tuesday at Santiago Bernabue.

Las Palmas

Last in the list of winner’s for the game day 03 is La Liga is newly promoted Las Palmas. Playing away from against a bigger club Celta Vigo, Las Palmas went down to 10 men when their regular goalkeeper were red carded in the 11^th minute, and were also 3-1 down in the 49^th minute but the newcomers refused to give up the fight.

Having been dominated in pretty much throughout the match, Las Palmas were fortunate as well with an own goal from Pablo Hernandez, which made a way for a potential comeback that was completed in the 74^thminute by David Simon.

Losers:

Atletico Madrid

First in the list of loser’s features Diego Simeone’s Athletico Madrid, who lost to Barcelona at home. Having been featured in a tough fixture, Simeone would have hoped to at least get a draw out of it, especially after going a goal up in the 51^stminute. Simeone’s men were short of creativity, and Grienzmann and Koke had a night to forget.

Thiago was the star of the night for the red and white, but overall there is a lot to worry about for Diego Simeone as he and his team suffered their first defeat of the season in a crucial match at home.

Celta Vigo

Next in the list we have Celta Vigo, who after such a dominant performance and with playing against 10 men at home against newly promoted Las Palmas. Celta Vigo had a man advantage nearly throughout the match after Palmas Goalkeeper Javi Varas was red carded inside the first 12 minutes of the first half, and they looked all settled for a big win when they went 3-1 up in the 49^th minute, but somehow managed to blow the lead away.

Defensively, Celta were all over the place and were extremely poor to say the least. Apart from the defensive lapses and an own goal, Celta Viga dominated the match in all aspects and had a total of 19 shots on goal, out of which 13 were on target. However, they would be bitterly disappointed as they failed to win a match while playing at home against a team who were playing with 10 men and are just recently promoted.

Malaga

Last in the list of losers for match day 3 in La Liga, we feature Malaga who had a disappointing draw against Eibar at home. Malaga who finished in the top half of the table last season were facing a team who escaped relegation by nothing more than miracle, and even after controlling the match in nearly every department, but Javi Garcia’s men’s were unable to break Eibar defense which was disciplined and were ready to put their body on the line.

Even though the match ended as a draw, Javi Garcia will take it more like a defeat as he would have hoped to earn more points in such fixtures, especially while playing at home.

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com.

Winners & Losers from La Liga Match Day 02

La Liga Match Day two comes to and end, and it was an intriguing weekend of Spanish football that we all witnessed. With nearly all big teams finding their form this week in La Liga, we have a very interesting roundup to our winners and losers list from La Liga match day 02.

Winners:

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid emerged on the of the winners list, after a pretty impressive thrashing of Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. Sevilla were the aggressor in the game, but it was the finishing of Athletico Madrid that proved pivotal for the other half of Madrid.

Gabi was instrumental in the middle of the park and proved to be a real leader who wanted to excel from the middle, whereas it was Antonio Griezmann from the wings who provided that much-needed pace from the wings and provided 2 assists in the game. Overall, Diego Simeone should be a relieved man after getting out with a comprehensive win in a comparative tie at a very tough venue, which made them earn 3 precious points in the league.

Eibar

Eibar feature at no 2 on the winners list this week, after earning a more than impressive win against Athletic Bilbao. Athletic probably started the game as favorites on the face of their recent performances against defending Champions Barcelona, but it was anything but. Eibar pretty much dominated the match from the right go, and Athletic had little to show against the outright winners.

Eibar had 8 shots on target, compared to Athletic 1, which shows the kind of dominance they had. Eibar was more clinical in terms of possession, as they were only dispossessed 12 times compared to Athletic’s 21 times. Saul Berjon prove to be the real hero for the home side, as he scored a goal as well as provided an assist in a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. In all it was a professional performance from Eibar that will see them having more confidence in the games to come.

Deportivo La Coruna

Last on the list of winners for match day 02 in La Liga is Deportivo La Coruna. For a team who avoided a relegation battle on the last day of the league last term, a draw on the road against a team who will feature in the Champions League this season is nothing more than a victory.

Even though there is nothing much to be made of their performance throughout the game, but a result lie this will prove to be a big boost for the side who was in danger of being relegated and had to draw their last match against Barcelona in their own backyard.

Losers:

Valencia

The first team to feature in the list of losers for Match Day two in La Liga is Valencia. Valencia had a relatively easy task when they faced Deportive La Coruna at home. Considering that Deportivo just escaped relegation last season and Valencia will feature in the Champions league, the home side would have hoped to finish the match with 3 points, but they would be bitterly disappointed with the results keeping in mind that they had enough chances to seal the victory and this was one of the easiest fixture to play at home in the league.

Athletic Bilbao

Athletic Bilbao features on the second in the list of losers for Match Day two in La Liga. Seeing Athletico play in such a commanding manner against the defending champions 3 times in the recent past, one would have hoped to see them get past Eibar, but it was a total day to forget for Ernesto Velverde’s side, as they were out rightly beaten in every department in the match.

Considering the fact that they only managed to hit one shot on target in the whole match, shows they didn’t deserve any points against Eibar. Velverde will hope that this will be a one-off case, and his team will bounce back from back to back defeats and will regain their form that they showed against Barcelona.

Sevilla

Last in the losers for Match Day two in La Liga features Sevilla. Sevilla had a tough fixture when they face Atheltico Madrid, but it was a home fixture and since they also feature in the Champions League, a three nil home thrashing was not expected.

Sevilla had a decent match in terms of stats, but after the departure of Carlos Bacca this season to Milan, they find it hard to find the back of the net even after creating some impressive chances. Lack of finishing paid them heavily as they were comprehensively beaten by the team who they would have hoped to at least get a point from.

Unai Emery’s track record with Sevilla speaks for itself, but with losing two key players in the last two seasons, this season will surely test his managerial skills and it is yet to be seen if he can keep Sevilla at the level they have been over the past two seasons.

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com.

La Liga Game Week 1 Winners/Losers

As it was the opening day of the new season in La Liga, the action was back on as the teams started their campaigns show their supremacy over one another. However out of all the action packed weekend, we will look at 3 teams who we believe ended up the first La Liga week as a real winner and 3 teams who ended up as the real losers.

Winners:

Sporting Gijon

Sporting Gijon features in the first place in our elite list of winners in the week 01 in La Liga season 2015/16. Sporting Gijon had a stern test first week against 10 times Champions League winner and Spanish giants Real Madrid, where anything but a defeat should have been considered as a victory. Sporting Gijon throughout the match looked like a team who was disciplined, and were willing to stay on the toes throughout the match.

Madrid in the 2^nd half tested Sporting defence to the maximum, and had more than 25 shots on goals, out of which most of them were taken care of by the Sporting defence. Sporting also probably had the best chance of the game, where they were denied by the linesman when the ball struck inside of the bar and there was confusion if the ball landed on the line or over the line. All in all, Sporting were the surprise package of the week and were worthy of being placed in the top of our winners list.

Barcelona

Barcelona features in the list of winner even after unimpressive show, mostly down to the fact that they faced the same opposition against which they recently lost the Spanish Super Cup in a comprehensive manner. Barcelona were made to work hard as Athletic Bilbao were not ready to give up their stern grip on the opposition.

Messi also missed the penalty in the 31^st minute, which made the case worse until Luis Suarez came to Luis Enrique’s side rescue with a 54 minute strike, which proved to be enough for the reigning Champions. The match should give Ernesto Valverdo a lot of hope in the coming season, as he will look to finish one better that what Athletic finished last time around.

Rayo Vallecano

Last in the list of the winners for the first week in La Liga 15/16 season is Rayo Vallecano, who held Valencia to a 0-0 draw at Campo De Futbol De Vallecas. Rayo Vallecano showed the kind of attitude that was needed to face a giant in the league, which paid dividend as they remained extremely competitive throughout the match.

Paco’s team looked relatively settled throughout the match and had a far more share of possession than their rivals, and had the same amount of shots on target and off target as well. Many would argue that Valencia’s intensity was not up there as their eyes were set on the Champions League qualification clash with Monaco, but it’s Rayo Vallecano who will finish first week as a winner in the elite list.

Losers:

Real Madrid

Real Madrid feature as the top team in the loser’s list for La Liga Week 01. Rafa Benitez men were outright favourites to get the job done, but after having more than 25 shots on goal, Spanish giants were unable to break the deadlock that proved costly in the end. Los Blancos looked far lesser threatening in the absence of their star striker Karim Benzema. The decision to play Jese as the men in front of the goal did not pay dividends.

Modric and Kroos along with Isco looked threatening throughout the game, but it was Gareth Bale, who looked like the real go to men after being played in his new position. Even though he did not complete the job for the new boss, but he was one the positives that came during that match. With 2 of their bitter rivals winning in the first game, Benitez will have to come with new ideas if he is to challenge Barcelona and Athletico for the Title.

 

Valencia

Valencia also features in the losers list this week after their more than disappointing show against Rayo Vallecano in the first week of La Liga season 15/16. Valencia had a relatively easy away fixture, but their performance lacked intensity and Rayo Vallecano managed to put on a really impressive show. Rayo Vallecano kept more of a possession and made sure that Valencia’s attack was neutralized with the slow game play. For a team who will participate in the Champions League this season again, a performance like that will be a severe blow in a bid to qualify for the Europe’s elite competition this season again.

 

Villarreal

Villarreal is the last team to feature in our elite list of losers for the Week 01 in La Liga this season. Villarreal had a competitively easy fixture with the newly promoted Real Betis, but it proved anything but that. Betis dominated the game from the right go and stats shows that they were bitterly unlucky to come out with just a point in the match. Villarreal looked nervous and were not at the same level as people associate with yellow submarine.

The lost possession more times, were far below in the possession, have nearly 60% less shots on goal compared to Real Betis and so on. All in all, for a team who had a more than decent performance last season, their performance was not up to the mark and they would have to improve pretty much everywhere to reach the same level where they were last season, if not better.

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com.

UEFA Champions League final preview: 5 things to watch

In lieu of the upcoming UEFA Champions League final, Azeem Siddiqui previews five things to watch for in Saturday’s showpiece.

With kick-off of the Champions league final a blink of an eye away, teams and fans are gearing up for what promises to be a special night for football. With a lot at stake in the final as both teams are looking to secure an unprecedented treble this season, we have a list of five things to watch out for on Saturday, at Berlin, when Spanish Champions Barcelona will go head on with Italian Champions Juventus.

First meeting in 12 years

Barcelona will face Juventus al for the first time in 12 years when these two clubs will go head to head in the Champions League final. Last time these two clubs met was in the quarter-final of the Champions League back in 2002/03 season, where the Italian side came on top over the two legs with a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou, that saw them edge pass the Spanish side 2-1 on aggregate. Barcelona and Juventus have previously met nine times in this competition, with Juventus leading the head-to-head with 4 wins, 3 defeats and 2 draws. With both clubs looking to seal the treble, Saturday’s final is surely going to be a spectacle to behold.

Another Messi master-class?

Juventus goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, who is a legend on his own, so aptly put when he mused: “Messi is an alien, who plays with humans”. Messi is in sublime form this season in which he already netted 58 times in all competitions. Whenever Barcelona are found wanting more, Messi often stands up to deliver the goods. He single-handedly destroyed German champions Bayern Munich in the first-leg of the semi–final of the Champions League this season, and soon after scored most probably the goal of the year in the Copa Del Rey final against Athletico Bilbao. While Buffon’s claims clearly show a mark of respect, Allegri’s men will have to come up with the best performances in their careers to stop a player like Messi in his prime.

The emergence of Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba, probably the highest rated young central midfielder in Europe, will be playing the biggest match of his career. He is being heavily tipped to leave Turin and join other elite European clubs after this season, including Barcelona, which means this could be his last match for the black and white. His performances are right up there with the best in the business, but to be called a great, you have to stand up in the matches like this. So it’s time for Pogba to shine, and there is no better time to deliver in on the pitch, on the biggest stage of all.

Fitting finale for the two football legends

Two of the best midfielder’s the world has ever seen, are going to play in their final Champions league match, and more fittingly that too is the Champions League final, where both teams are going all in for the treble. Pirlo and Xavi, both have been former world champions, and Champions League champions in their career, and with Xavi having already announced his departure from the Camp Nou, Pirlo, too, is about to follow his footprints and looks like to leave Turin for MLS side New York City FC after Saturday’s final, which means it will be a fitting end to the illustrious career of two of the game’s greatest midfielders.

Suarez vs Evra…

One of the most awaited battles to watch out for in Berlin on Saturday will be when Patrice Evra will have a chance to go up against Suarez, who does not have a fond memories of playing against him in the past. Suarez was involved with the racial abuse incident with Patrice Evra in 2011, in which Suarez was found guilty and was fined with £40,000, culminating in an eight-match suspension. The controversy did not end there as in the following meeting between Liverpool and Manchester United, Suarez refused to shake hands with Evra, which again led to more controversy.

So it remains to be seen how to two will react in each other’s presence. One thing’s for sure, it will probably be a tad awkward…

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com

Barcelona: How Luis Enrique restored pride for Blaugrana

After falling out with players which threatened to prematurely end his Barcelona career, Luis Enrique has turned it around in style, and has the chance to emulate Guardiola with a treble in his debut season. Azeem Siddiqui explores the resurgence…

With just a few days from potentially clinching an unprecedented treble in his first season as a manager, many would think that Luis Enrique had it all too easy coaching the world’s best team, the world’s best player and because of that, in the first season, he is achieving such a great success. But that was not the case, and Lucho had a hard time settling in.

To begin with, Enrique tried to change the Barcelona style of play from being under the influence of tiki -taka football, to a more direct approach. At first, Barcelona seemed a little hesitant to adapt to the style they had replicated for years, and the absence of Suarez made it harder given that they lacked his proactive runs into space. Results were not exactly  going their way either, and with Madrid enjoying, in retrospect, their best form of the season in the initial, which saw them sit four points clear, pressure were mounting on Enrique. Messi admitted to the press that he does not know where he will play in the next season and rumors emerged from the Catalonia that Enrique might be shown a door in the mid-season. However, Barcelona hierarchy backed Enrique for the rest of the season at least, and with Suarez completing the jigsaw puzzle, things started to look brighter than they ever were.

Under Enrique’s time at the Catalans, he did somethings tactically, that proved to be a master stroke for the Blaugrana. First of all, he bought a centre back in Mathieu to solve the height issue in defence. Barcelona always seemed too vulnerable on the set pieces and corners because they only had Pique to counter it. Now they have Mathieu as well. The height of Mathieu brought another plus in the team, with Barcelona becoming more of a threat on set pieces.

Defensively, Barcelona looked more solid throughout the season, with Rakitic being the supporting playing with the back four, and with Dani Alves and Alba not going forward together to attack from the wings, which use to leave the back line open for counter -attacks.

Enrique also made sure that Barcelona wouldn’t play the kind of football that they used to play before, that is, knocking the ball around with little effect. He made sure that his midfielders, usually Rakitic, Busquets and Iniesta, would play it directly to the front three, who would take it on from there with their skills, pace and hunger for goals.

The trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez have scored 120 goals altogether, surpassing the best ever goal record by a trio in a season (118), which was set up by Ronaldo, Benzema and Higuain in 2011-2012 season.

Enrique also made sure that Messi, who has been playing as centre-forward for the last couple of seasons, would reach to his maximum potential by playing on the right, and cutting back into the centre to control the attacking play. Not only does Messi now score plenty of goals, he also provides key passes to Neymar & Suarez, who make runs through the wings and made it hard for the oppositions to come to terms with it. Rakitic, who had a fantastic first season till now, also joins the attack from defence, which makes it tougher for the opposition.

All of this leads us to believe that Barcelona, under Luis Enrique has succeeded like not many of us would have thought he would be able in the first season in charge. He took Barcelona to another level and the Catalan’s look more of a threat than they ever were.

However, rumours persist that Luis Enrique might still leave the Catalan’s at the end of the season, with Messi and him not see each other eye to eye. No matter what happens with Luis Enrique, he has proven to be an astute appointemtn this season and he will surely go down as part of a a successful chapter in the history of Barcelona.

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com

Copa del Rey Final: 5 takeaways as Barcelona win domestic double

Azeem Siddiqui runs the rule over Barca’s Copa del Rey final win over Athletic Bilbao on a historic night in Spanish football

Barcelona lifted their 27th Copa del Rey title after defeating Athletic Bilbao 3-1 at the Camp Nou on Saturday evening.

A brace from Argentine maestro Lionel Messi on either side of half-time a strike from Neymar was enough to give the Catalans the win and William’s goal in the second half proved to be scant consolation for the Basques.

Here, we look at five talking points from the historic win in Catalonia.

Messi the king after superb solo goal

We often heard that there are players who seem to be from another planet, but there is only one player who can be really defined as that. After all, he does not seem to be a normal human being and things that he does makes you feel that he is an “alien” amongst the rest. Barcelona was looking to break the shackles from early on, but Bilbao was not ready to give.

Barcelona were looking to break the shackles from early on, but Bilbao was not ready to give in. But as they say, cometh the hour, cometh the man. Messi stood up on one of the biggest occasions in Spanish football, and came up with brilliance that, once again, showed that Messi is more than just a class act.

At the time, he was surrounded by three defenders who were not giving him the space, but he somehow managed to get that little space between the three, and then dodged another on-rushing defender in the box, and his finesse beat Iago Herrerin at the near post.

It was not just about the goal though. He has continually proved his brilliance throughout the match, in which he fought his way through and nearly provided an assist to Suarez in the center, following it up by a clipped ball pass to Neymar, which was later declared offside.

It was his sheer brilliance that sets up what was a comfortable for the Catalans, where they end up completing the much expected domestic double this season.

Here is another look to it.

Barcelona – The Real Force Again

It was not long ago, when Barcelona was the best in the world because of their “tiki–taka” football. But It was also not long ago, when Barcelona seemed absolutely clueless at the beginning of the season, and there were reports that Luis Enrique, who is now staring at the prospect of an unprecedented “treble”, was about to leave the club amid reports of a rift between him and Messi.

However, things changed and Barcelona are back to their best. Their style is changed, but they are far more effective than they ever were. They are defensively more solid, play on the counter on the basis of the speed and skills of Messi, Neymar and Suarez, can hold the ball with the players like Iniesta, Rakitic in the middle, to slow down the pace, and can use the wing to enhance their game play.

In short, under Luis Enrique, Barcelona is showing the kind of football that looks attractive to the eye, and yet effective on the field of play. Last night, Barcelona kept 73% possession compared to 27% of Bilbao, had 12 shots compared to Bilbao 8, had 7 on target which was more than double of what Bilbao managed (3). Their performance last night sent a stern signal to Juventus.

Neymar: A brilliant but controversial figure

It was all about Messi last night, but Neymar’s performance was more than just a ‘assist Messi’ role. He was very fluent for most the game and not only scored a goal but provided an assist. He did, however, miss clear-cut chances which could have made for a far more dominant score line for Bilbao.

At the end of the match, with a few minutes to go and with Barcelona would have virtually sealed the title, Neymar flicked the ball over Unai Bustinza, over which Athletico players reacted angrily and things got a little heated up at the end. Neymar later said that he won’t change his style as this is the way he played over his career, but Barcelona coach had some words for Neymar, in which he said: “In Spain this is looked on very badly. If I was an Athletic player I would have reacted the

“In Spain this is looked on very badly. If I was an Athletic player I would have reacted the same, or even worse,”said Luis Enrique.

“In Brazil this is normal, so we have to understand the context. He didn’t do it to humiliate his opponent, it is difficult to explain it when someone is losing, but we will try to control it with time.”

Bilbao Coach also asked to Neymar to show some respect to the opponents as this kind of behavior is not accepted in Spain, saying:

“It is not even looked upon well by his own fans. When the game is won we are very well aware to maintain certain respect for the opponent. There are things that he will learn with time.”

 

Politics in football

Camp Nou, the home of Barcelona, was full of supporters from both sides. Indeed, not only the Catalans, but also the Basques, had sought independence. And so, when the pre-match anthems were played, it was met with chants of “Independicia”, the cacophony so loud that it, in fact, drained out the anthem itself. If anything, the heads of RFEF, after that incident, probably regretted staging the final in Catalonia…

Bright future for Iago

Before the match, it was expected that Bilbao will have a mountain to climb to produce any sort of performance against the Spanish giants, and that their goalkeeper would have to stand up and perform beyond his usual capacity. Bilbao could only produce the latter one, as they never really challenged the Catalan giants as a team. However, their Goalkeeper, Iago Herrerin tried to keep Bilbao in the game for as long as possible, and it was only because of him that Bilbao suffered a more respectable defeat in the Spanish Cup final. Iago made sure that the game was not done and dusted by the half time, with some amazing saves against the Barcelona magical trio, but his efforts went in vain after the sheer brilliance by Lionel Messi.

The article originally published on Playingfor90.com

La Liga review: Barcelona farewell Xavi in style, Deportivo’s great escape

La Liga comes to an end after yet another exciting weekend and Barcelona are the newly crowned champions of Spain. The last weekend had some spectacular moments to remember, so without further ado, we review the final weekend of La Liga action.

Ronaldo – 3^rd Pichichi in a row

Barcelona & Messi may have won the league, but it’s Real Madrid’s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo who won the Golden shoe award for the third time in row after scoring a hat-trick against Getafe after 33 minutes of the first half. Madrid went on to win their game 7-3 with Chicharito, Jese, James and Marcelo were the other scorers. Ronaldo also created history by becoming the highest scorer in one season in La Liga ever, with an astonishing tally of 48 goals this season.

Deportivo – A GREAT escape

Deportivo miraculously came from two goals down against Barcelona at Camp Nou to escape relegation which looked certain for most of the match. Desperately needing a point against the newly crowned Spanish Champions, Deportivo hopes were all but gone when they went two goals down with 30 minutes remaining in the second half. But an inspirational performance saw them levelling inside 10 minutes, with goals from Lucas Perez and Diogo Salmao. Granada also escapes relegation with a hard-fought point against the former Spanish champions, Atheltico Madrid at home.

Valencia – Champions League is ON

Valencia qualified for Champions League qualification after a two-year drought. Valencia needed to get a win to keep their fate in their own hands against Almeria, who were fighting for survival and also needed a victory to boost hopes for escaping relegation. Valencia went down twice, but came back both times and finally went into a lead in the 80^th minute with a goal who else but Paco Alcacer.

Ancelotti rules out AC Milan return

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelloti reveals that it’s either Madrid or Nothing for this year in his plan. There were reports suggesting that Ancelloti might go back to Milan after a potential sacking due to trophy-less season, at the Bernabeu, but the Italian was quick to refuse that and express his desire to take a break from football if he will be sacked in the coming days.

Barca bid farewell to “graceful” Xavi

The Camp Nou faithful bid farewell to the club’s one of the great legend, Xavi Hernandez with a La Liga celebration after an intense draw against Deportivo. Xavi had more than impressive career at Barcelona, with more than 760 appearance for the Blaugrana, with 27 titles in total, including eight La Liga titles.

The article was originally published on Playingfor90.com

La Liga Preview: End of an era at Barcelona, UCL spots up for grabs

As the curtain draws on La Liga for yet another season, Azeem Siddiqui previews the final round of fixtures.

La Liga finally comes to a conclusion this weekend and after much speculation about whether the last two weeks would be suspended. The La Liga title may already be decided, however, there are still a Champions League places and the final Europa League spot which have yet to be finalised. With that said, here are few things to look out for in this final weekend of Primera Division action.

Seville or Valencia, who will finish 4^th?

The UEFA Champions League qualification round is up for grabs both for Valencia and Seville, where just a point separates the two on the 4^th and 5^th position. A win against Almeria will ensure that Valencia will play at least in the qualification round of Europe’s elite club tournament, or better, could even propel them above Atletico (provided that they lose). A draw or a defeat, on the other hand, would open gates for Sevilla to potentially show off and qualify for the Champions League twice, who have to win a tough one against Malaga at La Rosaleda.

Two spots up for grabs in the relegation battle – who will avoid it?

With the last day of league shaping up, it’s still anybody’s guess who is going to follow Cordoba into the footsteps of relegation, with only two points separating Granada, Deportivo La Coruna, Eibar & Almeria. Eibar has the easiest of the fixtures out of all the other three teams as they take on the already relegated Cordoba. And it seems Deportivo and Granada both would do well if either someone managed to avoid slipping into to the 2^nd division. The former will take on the newly-crowned Spanish champions, Barcelona, at the Camp Nou will the latter will take on the former champions Atletico Madrid, who are also looking to secure Champions League football.

Fight for the Pichichi

The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remains a pivotal talking point as La Liga draws to a close. With Messi eyeing a third Treble with Barca and a potential Ballon d’Or award next year,  the battle for the league’s top scorer will come down to the wire. Four goals currently separate the two players, but with Barca playing Deportivo, scoring a hat-trick, perhaps even a double hat-trick, shouldn’t be unimaginable.

Carlo Ancelotti’s final match?

Carlo Ancelotti will most probably manage the Los Blancos for the last time after a trophy-less season at the club. He came under huge criticism following a dismal week, where Madrid held to 2-2 & 1-1 draw at home in must-win matches against Valencia & Juventas that not only ended the club’s La Liga hopes, but also back-to-back Champions League dreams.

Xavi’s farewell

Barcelona will bid farewell to one of the greatest midfielders, not only in their club history but of his generation with a rout against Deportivo. Xavi had earlier announced that he would leave Barcelona at the end of the season and will join Qatari football club, Al Sadd. The 35-year-old has enjoyed an illustrious career in Barcelona, in which he appeared in more than 760 matches, scoring 84 goals and won 23 titles for Barcelona, including eight La Liga crowns.

The article originally appeared on Playingfor90.com