La Liga Talk

Are Madrid now the Real deal?

Tom Mallows — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:50:25 +0000

It has been the talk of the summer as the Galacticos 2.0 era burst into life and threatened to smash every transfer record in sight. We all expected some sort of fireworks when Florentino Perez returned to the Bernabeu with lavish promises of a return to an era when the world’s best players made an annual migration to the Spanish capital. Many expected Ronaldo to follow in the footsteps of Beckham, Zidane et al but the transfer fee, even by Madrid standards, took me by surprise, especially coming immediately on the back of Kaka’s £56 million move to Spain.

But the noises coming from Perez were one of work beginning, not ending, and the two deals merely signalled the start of spending. No doubt fuelled by the success of rivals Barcelona, who swept all before them last season, Perez has stated he wants to do three years work in one and spend up to 300 million Euros in order to compete with Barca. He has duly delivered s far with deals for Raul Albiol and most recently Karim Benzema set to be completed.

But will this galacticos policy work? Well last time it did bring success, with three Spanish titles and two Champions League trophies between 2000 and 2006. But the drought then began when the likes of Figo, Zidane and Ronaldo began to show their age. With so much money spent on their marquee players the others around them couldn’t carry the side when things stated to go wrong. But the main difference between now and then is age. Figo was 28 when he signed for Madrid, Zidane 29 and Beckham also 28. Players at their peak yes, but also only three or four years away from fading out. Compare that with Ronaldo, 24, Kaka 27, and Benzema, 21 - Younger players with their best years ahead of them. Therefore if success isn’t instant there are plenty of years ahead of them in order to win things for Real.

However how much time will the team have? With substantial investment comes expectation and if new coach Manuel Pellegrini fails to get results quickly he could soon be out of the door. On the other hand with the players at his disposal he could kick off a new magical era for the club.
So what about Barca?

Well the European Champions have been silent in comparison, though admittedly they already have a world-class squad. Much of the talk has involved Samuel Eto’o, linked with a move to the other big spenders of the summer, Man City. It had been reported Barca boss Pep Guardiola didn’t see Eto’o in his plans for next season though he has since been offered a new deal.

Incoming much of the talk involves Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, again. Much like the Ronaldo to Madrid story the Gunners midfielder has been perennially linked with a move to the Catalan club, who he left for London as a 16-year-old in 2005. Barca President Joan Laporta admitted this week that he wanted Fabregas at the Camp Nou, though again this one could run and run for longer than this summer.

Fabregas or not Barca have been forced to sit up and take notice at events at Madrid. Their majestic 6-2 win in El Clasico at the end of last season highlighted the gulf in class between the two sides. But with an unprecedented spending spree underway Real are doing their best to close the gap. A ‘Harlem Globetrotters’ star-studded approach doesn’t always work - a glut of new signings need to gel and the team needs to better than the sum of its parts.

But if it works at Real, the likes of Kaka, Ronaldo, Sneijder, Benzema, Raul and Huntelaar all clicking together will be a sight to behold.

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Write For La Liga Talk

The Gaffer — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:13:59 +0000

Are you interested in a paid writing position to write about La Liga? If so, e-mail me at thegaffer[at]epltalk[dot]com and include some writing samples or links to articles you’ve written.

I’m seeking someone who is passionate about Spanish football, and someone who is able to work alone and generate unique and creative articles.

Cheers,
The Gaffer

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Ray Wilkins takes swipe at La Liga?

Tom Mallows — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:16:36 +0000

Ray Wilkins seems a nice sort of bloke. He had a hugely successful career for club and country, and had spells playing abroad in France and Italy, away from the hustle and bustle of the English Leagues. He has since chiselled out a successful career as a coach at Chelsea.

So he is not the sort of person you would expect to go and criticise another European league. But that is what Wilkins appears to have done in the wake of David Villa’s decision to reject Wilkins’ club, Chelsea, and join the Galacticos 2.0 revolution at Real Madrid along with Kaka, who also snubbed the Blues.

Wilkins said:

“Do they want the challenge of the Premier League? It’s difficult to play in the Premier League as a foreign player, especially in the first year.

“Are some of these players taking the slightly softer option in going to Real Madrid and staying somewhere where they know and not taking up the challenge elsewhere? I don’t know. I’m just playing devil’s advocate.

“Our league is the best league in the world.”

Now maybe he is comparing Villa to himself, who took the brave move of moving abroad at a time when very few English players left their shores. However I still think his words are a little harsh on Villa and Kaka, after all I don’t think joining Real is the easy option, and maybe he is being a little naïve as to the size of playing for Real.

It is a chance after all to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. Chelsea for all their riches, do not have the same reputation, history and heritage as Real. They may in a few years, but their success only really began 10 years ago with the rapid growth of the Premier League, Real’s story goes back much further.

But signing for Real is just the start. In no way are you made just by signing on the dotted line, you have to go and prove to the Madrid fans that you are worthy of pulling on the famous white shirt. Many people have tried and failed to cope with the white hot atmosphere in the Bernabeu. For any player, Spanish or otherwise, it is the ultimate challenge.

Wilkins’ comments will also again raise the age old question of which is the better league - though Wilkins seems sure of his choice. It is an argument you could wage until you are blue in the face.

In terms of raw passion and excitement I don’t think it is any better than in the Premier League. The pace of the game is frightening, you don’t have time to think. It is the ultimate test of stamina and strength.

La Liga is not as frenetic and at times adopts a more considered approach. But that means the levels of skill required to score are higher, this is where I feel La Liga has the edge. In terms of technical ability I think Spain holds the ace, whereas in England you are hustled and harried until you make a mistake, in Spain you will be undone by a piece of magic.

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Real Madrid Ronaldo Bid Is Pure Fantasy

footballnewsblog — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:16:48 +0000

The headline of this article is very much misleading. Real Madrid’s £80m bid for Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly very real. Just as with their recent £56 million signing of AC Milan’s Brazilian playmaker Kaka, the Madrid giants are very much prepared to the huge sum of money for the Portuguese winger.

However, it must be questioned what reality Madrid and more specifically club president Florentino Perez is living in. The world is in the midst of a global recession and corporations as large as Lloyds Banking Group are laying off thousands (if not tens of thousands) of staff, who are unable to find alternate employment. Despite this, the football world has gone mad, with the world transfer record about to be shattered for the second time in as many weeks.

That Perez is the man at the centre of it comes as no surprise. It was under his watch that the Galacticos era took place and the previous transfer record was broken when Madrid signed Zinedine Zidane from Juventus. Zidane was just one of many superstars to appear in a Real Madrid shirt alongside David Beckham, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and the original (and I would argue better) Ronaldo.

Perez returned to the club last month in a blaze of glory, promising to reform the Galacticos (perhaps forgetting the precious few trophies won under his original spell at the club). Kaka has signed, Ronaldo is on his way with the promise of many more, with Valencia’s David Villa strongly rumoured to be the next to signup at the Bernabeu.

As for Manchester United, they must be laughing all the way to the bank at the ridiculously high fee for an albeit immensely talented player. The facts are Ronaldo failed to recapture his blistering form from the 2007-08 season and for £80m, United will certainly be able to reshape their team which has shown recently it needs freshened up, despite recapturing their Premiership trophy.

The cold hard facts are United were outplayed by Barcelona in the final of the UEFA Champions League and with Carlos Tevez also linked with a move to Manchester City, it could be a very different United lineup next season. Ironically one man who could be appearing in a Man United shirt next season could be Madrid’s very own Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has failed to settle in Spain.

Back to Madrid though and once again, they seem to have forgotten about their defence. It’s all well and good having stars like Ronaldo and Kaka going forward but the reality is, if you can’t defend set pieces, you aren’t going to win trophies. Madrid’s already vulnerable defense has been further weakened by the departure of Fabio Cannavaro to former club Juventus.

It remains to be seen how the Galacticos will fair - one thing that is certain however is that with Perez in charge, it won’t be low profile.

Written by Danny Watson, a professional sports writer who blogs about football news.

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2008-09 La Liga Best XI

George Metellus — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:50:37 +0000

In honor of Barcelona’s historic season the 2008-09 La Liga Best XI will take the formation of a 4-3-3. As you might expect the side will have a distinct Blaugrana feel to it.

Goalkeeper:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)

The Real Madrid stopper is the best goalkeeper in the world and was one of the few bright spots in Los Merengues’ trophy-less 08-09 campaign.

Defense:
Dani Alves (Barcelona)

The Brazilian right back might have been Barcelona’s best acquisition for the 08-09 season as his speed and ball handling helped Barça on both offense & defense.

Carles Puyol (Barcelona)

The Catalan captain is the best leader in football. His versatility along the backline and leadership was essential for Barça’s historic treble run when injuries & suspension threatened to jeopardize history.

Sébastien Squillaci (Sevilla)

The French international center back was the pillar for Sevilla’s 2nd best defense. The ex-Lyon defender led Sevilla in La Liga appearances and is a regular for Les Bleus.

Filipe Kasmirski (Deportivo La Coruña)

Deportivo’s young left back was the breakout star of the La Liga season. The Brazilian started every La Liga game for Deportivo and was a massive part of Depor’s surprising run to 7th place. He is on the radar of every big European club and should be a member of the Brazilian national team very soon.

Midfield:
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)

The Spanish midfielder is Barça’s most valuable offensive player. That’s saying a lot considering the attacking talent Barcelona has. Without Iniesta: Barcelona struggled to beat Real 2-0 at Camp Nou, with Iniesta: Barcelona dominates Real 6-2 at the Bernabeu. Messi is going to win the FIFA POY but Iniesta can’t be ignored.

David Silva (Valencia)

Los Che’s best midfielder was an important piece of Valencia’s late season run to 6th place and a Europa League spot. If Silva hadn’t missed the 1st 3 months of the season Los Che could have finished in the Top 3.

Xavi (Barcelona)

Xavi is one of the Top 5 players in the world and is a player with no perceived weaknesses. He & Puyol are the pillars of Catalan athletic pride and in every big game or tournament he wins the man of the match or player of the tournament.

Forwards:
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

La Pulga was Barcelona’s leading goal scorer in all competitions in 08-09 and his goal in the Champions League final cemented his title as World Best Player. Messi is going to be the 2009 FIFA Player Of The Year.

Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona)

The fiery Cameroon striker is the best pure goalscorer on the planet and finished 2nd in the race for the Pichichi. Eto’o is also the most reliable big game goal scorer having scored goals in Barcelona’s two most recent Champions League finals.

Diego Forlan (Atlético Madrid)

The 2nd generation Uruguayan footballer won the Pichichi award as La Liga’s leading goal scorer with 32 goals. The Atlético Madrid striker was volcanic hot as he scored 12 goals in the last 8 games of the season to lead Los Colchoneros to 4th place and a Champions League spot.

DT:
Josep Guardiola

This one is obvious, the former Barcelona player handled a supremely talented team perfectly. Guardiola was at the helm of the greatest season in La Liga history and his demeanor was exactly what Blaugrana needed to win their historic treble.

Bench:
GK: Victor Valdes (Barcelona)
DEF: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Carlos Marchena (Valencia)
MID: Juan Mata (Valencia), Duda (Malaga)
ATT: David Villa (Valencia), Álvaro Negredo (Almeria)

There it is the 2008-09 La Liga Talk La Liga Best XI. Let us know what you think.

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Valencia on the brink?

Tom Mallows — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:31:07 +0000

A sixth place finish in La Liga and a place in next season’s Europa League may be satisfying on the face of things. But a limp end to the season, discontentment on the terraces, and growing financial problems only darkened the thick storm clouds already lurking above Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium.

Their long-standing money troubles look to be coming to a head this summer, with the crippling costs of their new stadium taking its toll.

President Vicente Soriano, who only took office last July, has resigned after admitting he couldn’t put a business plan in place that would safeguard the clubs financial future.

The club have been spiralling into financial meltdown for a few years now, mainly stemming from the attempt to build a new stadium. Initially seen as a bid to maximise match day revenue, the 200 million Euro project has proved to be a deadly millstone around their necks as it became financially unmanageable.

Soriano tried to sell land surrounding Valencia’s current stadium, the 55,000 capacity Mestalla, to help financial the move. But the global economic slowdown plunged Spain into recession meaning buyers dried up.

As finances worsened and debts mounted, the two-time Champions League finalists temporarily suspended payments to players and to the company constructing the stadium in February, meaning building work was stopped altogether. The Spanish media now report that Valencia’s debts total £400 million.

A 50 million Euro loan from a local business group in April eased some of the pressure and at least allowed them to pay their players. But it appears only to be a temporary let-off, with the sale of the clubs star players surely imminent in order to keep the club afloat

They are problems that belay Valencia’s status as one of the biggest clubs in Spain. They have won six La Liga titles, Seven Copa Del Rey’s, two Spanish Super Cups, a UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup-winners cup and two UEFA Super Cups. Valencia is the third biggest city in Spain and Los Che are often positioned just behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain’s pecking order.

But ever since they tumbled out of the 2006-2007 Champions League the club has been on a steep downward spiral. They finished last season in a lowly 10th place, which spelt the end of boss Ronald Koeman. Although this season was marginally better, the lack of Champions League money could force a fire-sale in the summer.

Three of those players include Juan Mata, David Silva and EURO 2008 golden boot winner David Villa, who will all surely be sold to European clubs who have been circulating around the Mestalla for several months now, like vultures hovering above a dead carcass. Indeed Villa has already stated his desire to play in the Champions League next season and has been linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona. It sad to see such a great club in such a desperate position.

Fans of English football will hold up the likes of Leeds United as an example of what can happen when a club over-stretches itself. The club reached a Champions League semi-final, against Valencia ironically enough, in 2001 but since then creditors demanded their cash back, players were sold and the club tumbled down two divisions. It is not unrealistic to suggest Valencia could succumb to a similar fate. Even with the sales of Villa and co, the burden of that half-built stadium will not loosen its grip. You wonder how far they will fall before they can start to recover.

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La Liga Final Roundup - Week 38

George Metellus — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:19:23 +0000

My Catalan isn’t great but I believe the picture says “Players, Fans, Everyone United Makes Strength, Thanks To Everyone” Barcelona wrapped up its 19th La Liga title and all the European cup spots are pretty much sewn up. The final week of the La Liga season still has some drama left with 5 teams still fighting to avoid relegation.

Amazingly Sporting de Gijón will remain in La Liga after they defeated Recreativo Huelva 2-1 at home. Sporting trailed 1-0 at halftime but scored twice in the 2nd half including the relegation avoiding goal by Luis Morán in the 67th minute.

With Recreativo & Numancia already on the way down it came down to Getafe & Real Betis for the last relegation spot. Getafe drew 1-1 on the road against Racing Santander and Real Betis drew 1-1 at home against Valladolid. Both sides were even on 42 points but Getafe stayed up because of the head to head tiebreaker. The 2-2 aggregate of the 2 Getafe-Real Betis matches favored Getafe because of the road goals. It turns out that the 2 goals Getafe’s Ikechukwu Uche scored in their February 1 match in Sevilla would be what sent Betis down to Segunda División.

Other matches of note, Espanyol’s final game at the Montjuic witnessed a magical hat-trick by Espanyol icon Raúl Tamudo as they defeated Málaga 3-0. Espanyol looked relegated 2 months ago but a run of 8 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in their last 10 matches to helped Espanyol fly into the Top 10.

Diego Forlan wrapped up the Pichichi with his 32nd goal in a 3-0 home win against Almería. The win clinched 4th place and the last Champions League spot as Los Colchoneros won 8 of their last 9 including 6 straight to end the season.

Here are the results & final standings:

SATURDAY, MAY 30th

Deportivo La Coruña 1 - 1 Barcelona
DLC: Rodolfo Diaz Bodipo (31′)
BAR: Samuel Eto’o (89′)

Mallorca 2 - 3 Villarreal
MAL: Aritz Aduriz (35′) & Pierre Webó (89′)
VIL: Cani (28′) & Joseba Llorente (40′& 52′)

Valencia 2 - 0 Athletic Bilbao
VAL: David Villa (7′ & 90′)

Atlético Madrid 3 - 0 Almería
ATM: Kun Agüero (19′), Raúl García (27′), Diego Forlán (49′)

SUNDAY, MAY 31st

Espanyol 3 - 0 Málaga
ESP: Raúl Tamudo (7′, 45′, pen 56′)

Numancia 0 - 2 Sevilla
SEV: Emiliano Armenteros (88′) & Juan Carlos Moreno (og 91′)

Osasuna 2 - 1 Real Madrid
OSA: Jaroslav Plasil (15′) & Juanfran (60′)
RMA: Gonzalo Higuaín (11′)

Racing Santander 1 - 1 Getafe
RAC: Toni Moral (34′)
GET: Granero (38′)

Real Betis 1 - 1 Valladolid
BET: Ricardo Oliveira (49′)
VLD: Marcos Aguirre (46′)

Sporting Gijon 2 - 1 Recreativo Huelva
SPO: David Barral (58′) & Luis Morán (67′)
REC: Ersen Martin (23′)

STANDINGS

Barcelona, Real Madrid, & Sevilla qualify for 09-10 Champions League group stage
Atlético Madrid qualify for Champions League playoff round

Villarreal & Valencia qualify for 09-10 Europa League playoff
Athletic Bilbao qualify for Europa League 3rd qualifying round

Real Betis, Numancia, Recreativo Huelva are relegated to Segunda División

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5 Reasons Why Barça Made History

George Metellus — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:21:12 +0000

Ladies & Gentlemen as you well know FC Barcelona completed their greatest season ever by defeating Manchester United 2-0 in the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League Final. The win gave them their 1st ever treble as Barcelona became the 1st Spanish team to win a treble. Barca captured La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and the Champions League. We at La Liga Talk breakdown the Top 5 Reasons why Blaugrana earned their place in footballing history.

#5 = Improved Team Atmosphere

Let’s be real, last year’s team was good enough to win a treble but what prevented it was a poor team atmosphere. Frank Rijkaard could not handle the divisive figures in his locker room such as Ronaldinho & Deco. Don’t forget how Eto’o looked like he was headed to AC Milan and Henry was talking about how playing on the left side was stifling his goal scoring instincts for France and he needed to be in the middle. The following season Dinho & Deco were out while Eto’o & Henry fell in line without a locker room wrecking word all season. Guardiola deserves massive credit for improving the team’s atmosphere cause talent wasn’t the reason The Blaugrana went trophy-less last season.

#4 = Playing Style

Over the last 5 - 10 years we’ve seen managers cower in the face of opposition by playing a more conservative, boring style of football. A recent trend of 5 midfielders with 1 striker or more withdrawn “forwards” has seen a reduction in the entertainment value of football. However, Barça, said DAMN THAT and played with 3 strikers and they got the 3 most explosive and skilled forwards on the planet to fill their formation. No wonder fans take a liking to Barça, the Blaugrana scored as many goals this season as Brad Pitt has women sweating him. Yo, that’s a lot of damn goals. People who love the Beautiful Game want to see speed, skill, and goals. Barça gives football fans all of those things and Barça wins.

#3 = Josep Guardiola i Sala

Some people might say that the coach of the best team on the planet is only #3. By no means is this a knock on Guardiola’s acumen because his brilliance can never be understated. However, so many other factors had to line up perfectly for a coach in his 1st season as a head coach of a big club to make history like this. Mourinho has much more experience than Guardiola and he only got a Scudetto in his 1st season with Inter. Guardiola did a perfect job no doubt, but he had to go #3 because he inherited a supremely talented team that was close to history. His leadership was the spark Barça needed to get Treble and he is the 6th person to win the European Cup as a player & coach.

#2 = Joan Laporta i Estruch

Joan Laporta i Estruch is the best club president on the planet. Since his reign began in 2003, Barcelona has won 2 Champions Leagues, 3 La Liga titles, 2 Spanish Supercups, and a Copa Del Rey. He managed to maintain the integrity of the Barça shirt by keeping sponsors off the shirt but his humanitarian act of giving money to UNICEF and having the UNICEF logo on the sacred shirt was a brilliant business, PR, and charitable move. He hired Frank Rijkaard & Guardiola and he has overseen the most balanced transfer policy of any club in Europe. Everyone who gave Laporta a vote of “No Confidence” are looking stupid right now. Not to mention he’s a true Catalan patriot.

#1 = La Masia - Barca’s Youth Academy

On a recent podcast of Mad About Fútbol, GOL TV’s Andres Cordero made a great point about how this treble was years in the making and how Barca’s youth academy was a huge part of this historic feat. If you look at the roster of the Eqiupo Triplete its key components are products of Barca’s youth academy. Victor Valdes, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Bojan, Pique, Puyol, Sergi Busquets all came up to the 1st team through La Masia. Amazing, even Pep Guardiola himself is a product of the famous youth academy. The success of La Masia is a testament to the proper investing of monetary gains to maintain and build a high-level football club.

Congratulations to FC Barcelona for showing the world how football should be played and proving that winning, attacking football is not a dream but a dream come true.

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Barcelona STILL Have Objectives To Achieve

footballnewsblog — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:42:17 +0000

Fresh from their UEFA Champions League victory, FC Barcelona will complete the most successful season in the clubs history on Saturday when they face Deportivo La Coruna in the league.

Having become the first ever Spanish team to win the treble of European Cup, La Liga and Copa Del Rey in a single season, Barcelona will look to round off the season in style against Depor.

Although there is the potential that Barcelona will ease off, the frightening prospect for Deportivo is what might happen if Barcelona play without pressure.

“We have made history and now we have to enjoy it,” Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez - one of the star performers in a Barcelona shirt this season - told the club’s Web site.

Incredibly, there are still two objectives remaining for Pep Guardiola’s men. Should they score four goals on Saturday, they will beat Real Madrid’s record of 107 league goals set in the 1989-90 season.

Also, Samuel Eto’o, who scored Barcelona’s first goal against United,is targeting the Pichichi prize for the league’s top scorer. The Cameroon striker has 29 goals but trails the leader, Atletico Madrid’s Diego Forlan, by two goals.

While the match means little to Barcelona, Deportivo will be looking for an upset victory which could secure a European place, should Valencia lose at Athletic Bilbao.

“Our possibilities are low but we have to believe in the chance we have and we have to fight for it,” Deportivo coach Miguel Angel Lotina said.

Elsewhere in La Liga, Juande Ramos reign as Real Madrid manager will come to an end against a battling Osasuna side fighting to avoid relegation.

Defender Fabio Cannavaro, who is rejoining Juventus at the end of the season, is also set to make his final appearance in a Real Madrid shirt.

Written by Danny Watson, a professional sports writer who blogs about football news.

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La Liga Roundup - Week 37

George Metellus — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:00:35 +0000

As the calendar gets closer to June this memorable La Liga season nears its amazing end. At this point the main battle is to avoid relegation. Sporting Gijon got a HUGE 2-1 road win against Valladolid in their quest to stay in the Spanish 1st division. Mate Bilic scored the game winner in the 79th minute to give them the points and pull even with Osasuna on points. Sporting is still in the relegation zone in 18th but sit 2 points behind 14th place Valladolid.

Osasuna defeated Barcelona 1-0 to keep themselves out of the relegation zone. Walter Pandiani displayed his knack for timely goals by scoring what turned to be the game winner. Real Betis slipped closer to the drop after their 1-1 draw at Málaga while Getafe secured Numancia’s descent to the 2nd division with a 1-0 win. Ex-Real Madrid forward Roberto Soldado scored his 13th goal of the season in the victory.

Diego Forlan has probably won the Pichichi trophy after his hat trick in leading Atlético Madrid to a 4-1 road win over Athletic Bilbao. The hat trick gave him 31 goals on the season as he passed Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o on the Pichichi list. Los Colchoneros have won 7 of their last 8 matches as they get closer to locking up a Champions League spot.

Here are the results & standings from Week 37

SATURDAY, MAY 23rd

Athletic Bilbao 1 - 4 Atlético Madrid
ATB: Etxeita (68′)
ATM: Raúl García (59′) Diego Forlán (73′, 77′, pen 87′)

Barcelona 0 - 1 Osasuna
OSA: Walter Pandiani (26′)

Málaga 1 - 1 Real Betis
MAL: Albert Luque (81′)
BET: Edu (43′)

Valladolid 1 - 2 Sporting Gijon
VAL: Jonathan Sesma (69′)
SPO: Diego Camacho (44′) & Mate Bilic (79′)

Villarreal 3 - 1 Valencia
VIL: Joseba Llorente (15′ & 31′) & Cani (67′)
VAL: David Villa (41′)

Sevilla 1 - 0 Deportivo La Coruña
SEV: Diego Perotti (90′)

Recreativo Huelva 0 - 1 Racing Santander
RAC: Nikola Zigic (76′)

Getafe 1 - 0 Numancia
GET: Roberto Soldado (61′)

Almeria 0 - 3 Espanyol
ESP: Iván Alonso (26′ & 71′) & Coro (90′)

SUNDAY, MAY 24th

Real Madrid 1 - 3 Mallorca
RMA: Gonzalo Higuaín (20′)
MAL: Juan Arango (26′), Cléber Santana (59′), Alhassane Keita (71′)

STANDINGS

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