Four of the top teams in Europe are preparing to lock horns to fight for the most coveted trophy on the continent – and perhaps even the world – the UEFA Champions League.

In the first semfinal, new champions of Germany, Bayern Munich will face the champions-to-be of Spain, Barcelona. The second semifinal of the 2012/13 Champions League may turn out to be a more sparkling debacle as Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid are both known for their extravagance in attack.

Lets take a look into what is to unfold in the next few days:

Bayern Munich v Barcelona

Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
Tuesday, 23rd April, 2013
20:45 CEST
Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)

Bayern Munich host a Barcelona team that only made it into the semis by winning on goal difference against Ligue 1 side PSG. Confidence is high in both camps, however. If Bayern have had a splendid season at home, Barca has only lost twice in their trips away from home.

Barcelona will be missing three key defenders – Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Adriano. Not buying central defenders over the last few seasons is now hurting the Catalans as they can’t stop conceding goals. Puyol and Masch are out until May with Arthroscopie and knee injury respectively while Adriano will miss out through suspension.

Jupp Heynckes’ squad is not injury-free either as three of his emerging players are out with injury. Holger Badstuber has been out since early December last year with a cruciate ligament rupture and he will stay out until June. Mario Mandzukic and Toni Kroos are also reportedly injured.

Recent Form:

Bayern’s recent form overall has been tremendous this year. In 2013 so far, Bayern have played 24 matches and their record is W23 L1 – the loss came against Arsenal in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Another interesting stat is that 11 of those 23 wins were with a margin of three goals or more.

Barcelona’s form has been no where near the standards set by Pep Guardiola. They weren’t helped by the recurring health problems for their current coach, Tito Vilanova. 2013 has been a year of mixed emotions for the Cules. From back to back defeats at the hands of their Clasico rivals to the comeback against AC Milan.

Head-to-Head:

The two teams have met only four times in recent memory. Bayern have two wins to their name, while one for Barca and one ended in a draw.

The first meeting between the two was in the 1998/99 Champions League and it ended in a 1-0 win for the Bavarians. In the return leg in the Camp Nou, Bayern emerged victorious again with a scoreline of 2-1. Their third and fourth meeting came in Barcelona sextuple-winning season with Guardiola. Over two legs, Catalans registered a winning scoreline of 5-1.

Prediction:

The Nou Camp side seem to be an unpredictable bunch at the moment, but it must be noted that Bayern’s only defeat in the last 25 matches came at home in this competition. However, Bayern is still favourites to win the home leg at 6/5 with Ladbrokes. A draw is also on the cards with 12/5 and with Tito’s men playing two stalemates against French opposition, the following scoreline can be backed at 6/1.

Prediction: Bayern Munich 1-1 Barcelona

Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
Wednesday, 24th April, 2013
20:45 CEST
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

Although Borrussia Dortmund come into this game on a fine run of being undefeated in their last seven games (W6 D1), they are no match for the might of Real Madrid in the eyes of the bookies.

Real manager Jose Mourinho may be leaving the capital club at the end of this season – with a return to England on the cards – and he is definitely looking to leave on a high as he did with Inter Milan and Porto. It will also make him the first-ever manager to win the Champions League from three different clubs.

Dortmund are at a slight advantage that they are playing the first leg at home. Being the underdogs, they have the chance to take a lead in the tie if not kill it off completely. They will have the home support behind them and if anyone can create a winning atmosphere, it’s the fans in Germany.

Recent Form:

Dortmund’s last defeat came away at Schalke 04 in early March. Since then, they have won six matches and drew just the one game away at Malaga. These six wins include a win over VfB Stuttgart and 6-1 thrashing of Gruether Furth away from home.

Real Madrid are on a fine run of form themselves. Since their 1-0 loss against Granada in February, they have played 15 matches and won most of them (W12 D2 L1). Their sole loss came against Turkish side Galatasaray.

Head-to-Head:

Dortmund fans will be hoping for a repeat of their meetings earlier this season in the group stage of this competition. The German side managed to take three points off Madrid in two matches. However, that’s the only time Dortmund have managed to beat the latter.

In total, the two clubs have faced each other in the Champions League on six occasions and Madrid emerged victories twice, while three ended in draws.

Prediction:

Although the most recent Madrid loss came away in the Champions League, they are still favourites to win the first leg of this semifinal. You can back Real Madrid at 7/5 with Ladbrokes to win the match. Moreover, you can back the following scoreline at 8/1 with Ladbrokes:

Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Real Madrid

Bayern Munich vs Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid: Previews is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

Lionel Messi was on target for an 18^th consecutive Primera Liga game as Barcelona maintained their 13-point Liga lead over Real Madrid with a 3-1 win against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou.  David Villa’s first-half opener set Barca on their way before Messi stole the show with a brace. Raul Tamudo reduced the deficit for Rayo, but his first goal of the season was no more than a consolation.

Real Madrid came from behind twice to beat struggling Mallorca 5-2 at the Bernabeu. Emilio Nsue and Alejandro Alfaro either side of Gonzalo Higuain’s strike gave the islanders a surprise 2-1 lead at half-time, but Jose Mourinho’s men hit back after the break with three goals in seven minutes. Ronaldo headed his 27th goal in as many Primera appearances and Luka Modric hit Real’s third before Higuain grabbed a second and Karim Benzema completed the scoring in added time.

Atletico Madrid remained a point behind their city rivals with a 2-0 win at Osasuna. Diego Costa scored either side of half-time to leave the men from Pamplona just four points clear of the drop zone.

Despite their success in the Champions League, Malaga’s poor home form in La Liga continued as they crashed 2-0 against Espanyol at La Rosaleda. Second-half goals from Diego Colotto and Sergio Garcia saw Manuel Pellegrini’s team drop to sixth.

Antoine Griezmann scored twice as Real Sociedad took advantage of Malaga’s slip-up to move up to fourth with an impressive 4-1 home win against Real Valladolid. The Basques have now gone ten games without defeat, scoring 22 times in the process. Imanol Agirretxe and Xabi Prieto were Sociedad’s other scorers, with Javi Guerra getting a late consolation for Valladolid.

Valencia climbed to fifth with a 3-0 defeat over ten-man Real Betis. Antonio Amaya’s early red card for bringing down Roberto Soldado was punished further as Soldado scored from the resulting penalty, before Paulao’s own goal and Jonas’ late strike sealed the win for Los Che.

Jorge Andujar Moreno – otherwise known as Coke – scored twice as Sevilla hit four past lowly Real Zaragoza without reply. Juan Antonio Reyes and Alfredo Negredo were also on target for Sevilla while the visitors had Stefan Babovic dismissed for a second yellow card.

Last-placed Deportivo La Coruna registered only their fourth win of the season, beating fellow strugglers Celta Vigo 3-1. Riki, Silvio and Diogo Solomao were all on target for Depor, with Park Chou-Young pulling a late goal back for the visitors. Celta, who had Iago Aspas sent off after being shown a straight red card for violent conduct, have taken just four points from 15 games on the road and are looking like favourites to accompany Depor straight back to La Segunda.

Borja Fernandez scored the only goal of the game as Getafe beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 to remain in eighth place, just a point behind Betis, while Granada drew 1-1 at home against Levante, Siqueira’s first-half penalty for La Grana cancelled out by Robert Acquafresca five minutes after the break.

La Liga Roundup Gameweek 28: David Villa and Lionel Messi Keep Barca Rolling On is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

Lionel Messi scored his 40th goal of the Primera Liga campaign as Barcelona beat basement boys Deportivo while Atletico Madrid’s hundred per cent home record was ended, allowing Real Madrid  to usurp them in second place.

A below-strength Barca bounced back from successive Clasico defeats with a routine win over the Galician strugglers at Camp Nou, but only a first half Alexis Sanchez header separated the teams until the final minutes when Messi, on as a substitute for David Villa, sealed the win.

With reserve keeper Pinto between the sticks, Barca managed their first clean sheet in 14 games, the suspended Victor Valdes having been red-carded at the end of El Clasico a week previously.

Real Madrid overtook neighbours Atletico, but remain 13 points behind Barca after a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo. Cristiano Ronaldo put Los Blancos in front after the break, before Iago Aspas equalised almost immediately. Jose Mourinho’s men struggled to make their superiority count, but Ronaldo’s 72nd-minute spot-kick made the difference as Celta fell to nineteenth place.

Atletico slipped to a 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad, dropping their first points of the season at the Vicente Calderon. Xabier Prieto’s 53rd minute strike took Sociedad to fifth, level on points with Malaga, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Real Valladolid. Former Bayern Munich defender Martin Demichelis headed in to give Manuel Pellegrini’s side an early lead, only for Manucho to level before the interval.

Real Betis are sixth after beating Osasuna 2-1 on a sodden pitch at the Benito Villamarin. Jorge Molina gave Pepe Mel’s men an early lead, which they held until sixteen minutes from time, when Francisco Silva equalised, only for Ruben Castro to grab the points for Betis five minutes later. Valencia missed the chance to go above both Malaga and Sociedad, slipping to seventh with a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao, Iker Muniain getting the vital goal eleven minutes from the end.

Levante and Getafe played out a 0-0 draw at the Ciutat de Valencia to leave both sides in mid-table. A similar scoreline between Zaragoza and Granada left both clubs hovering too close to the danger zone for comfort.

Chori Dominguez and Piti, with his 11th goal of the season, were on target as Rayo Vallecano maintained hopes of a Europa League spot with a 2-0 at home against Espanyol, while at the bottom an Alejandro Alfonso double helped Mallorca overcome Sevilla 2-1. Alfredo Negredo scored for inconsistent Sevilla but the islanders’ win, their first at home since September, could be vital in their quest to avoid relegation.

La Liga Roundup Gameweek 27: Messi Reaches 40 as Barca Bounce Back is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

A photo of Real Madrid’s new third shirt for the 2013-14 season has been leaked on the Internet.

Real Madrid’s third shirt for next season is designed and manufactured by Adidas, and sponsored by Emirates. The distinctive orange shirt will be worn in select away Champions League matches.

What are your thoughts regarding Real Madrid’s new third shirt for next season? Post your feedback below.

H/T Football Shirts.

Real Madrid Third Shirt for 2013-14 Season Leaked [PHOTO] is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

La Liga is one of the best leagues in the development of young players and I’ve picked my top 4 that you should look out for in the next coming years.  These are my picks and just who I think can go on to achieve great things in their careers. Some have been in and around La Liga for a while but there are some who are going to get the attention they truly deserve.

I’m going to start with a personal favourite, Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara. He has been around the Barcelona first team for a while but he is still relatively young and he has the potential to be one the best ever. Thiago’s ideal position is Central Midfield or attacking midfielder. I think he plays best when more advanced than the other Barcelona Midfielders. At such a young age he has already achieved so much, 3 league titles, 1 champions leagues and 1 Copa Del Rey, not bad for 21 year old. He has many strengths and only a few weaknesses. His main strength for me is his first class touch and how well he copes under pressure, vital for any Central midfielder. Having a good first touch can change a game in an instant. The way he copes when surrounded by opposition players is a joy to watch, he doesn’t panic and very rarely gives the ball away. With Xavi’s career coming to end is Thiago the perfect replacement? Thiago comes from a footballing family, his dad won the world cup in 1994, his brother, Rafinha  is also a footballer for Barcelona and his cousin plays for Benfica in Portugal.  The only downside to his game is he isn’t very physical for CM, in order to be the perfect midfielder he needs to become bigger physically. He also lacks concentration with him this season losing key passes a few times which have led to Barcelona conceding.

If you have watched the recent 3 Clasico’s then my next player of focus will be very familiar to you, Raphael Varane. Varane is one of those players that you can tell from a young age he was going to be an amazing defender. I’ve watched him from about 2008 when he was at lens at France and I knew from then that it wouldn’t be long till a bigger club come knocking. I was right, who came knocking? Only one of the biggest clubs in the world, Real Madrid.  Varane was signed by Real Madrid in 2011 and was persuaded to join by Zinedine Zidane. Varane is starting to show his class and talent this season with him being a vital part of the Real Madrid team. His key strengths include his lightning pace which we have seen first-hand in the recent Clasico’s. He also very strong and has a fantastic aerial ability, which in the Clasico’s we have seen with him scoring 2 headers and winning key headers. With these strengths he is what I see as the perfect CB, he has everything you need to make it as a defender. He can compete with most players in the game. He is also the perfect modern day centre back. Varane has taken his first team chances well and I think if he stays at this performance level he could easily go on to be one the best defenders ever.

Next up is Malaga’s Isco, a central attacking midfielder or a winger. Isco is hotly tipped as the next big thing and has dozens of clubs knocking at his door. Isco has a value of around £15-£20 million which is more than affordable for most of the clubs that are after him. In 2012 Isco won the Golden boy award beating off players like Christian Erisken, Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Gotze, Not bad eh? In the summer of 2012 Malaga sold Santi Cazorla to Arsenal and this move helped Isco progress. As you’d expect Isco was always going to be in Cazorla’s shadow at Malaga and wouldn’t be given as much of a chance but when Santi was sold Isco was given the chance and fitted the huge hole perfectly well. He has a fantastic technical ability and has a good eye. He also reads the game well and knows where to pass the ball before he’s even got it . Isco also has the ability to split a defence with a single pass. He also has an added bonus in his locker, he can shoot quite well, a superb attribute for any attacking midfielder.

Iker Munian. I don’t know where to start with him there is so much I could say about him.  Iker is 20 but has been around the Athletic first team for what feels like a million years. He made his first team debut as a 16 year old. I feel that Iker has the potential to replace Xavi/Iniesta in the Spain squad as the creator of the goals. Iker has been dubbed as the ‘Spanish Messi’ by some Spanish press. Iker has great close control and has lots of flair is which is what you want from your wingers. In the time I’ve been watching Iker (about 2009) I have noticed he is hard to track because he is constantly on the move moving infield then back out wide before the defenders can get close to him. If Iker can stay injury free and continue to progress at the rate he has done then I don’t see why he can’t go on to be one of the best Spanish players ever. Another key point on Munian is he uses the ball well and very rarely makes a mistake when on the ball. A truly fantastic talent and real joy to watch.

4 Youngsters to Watch in La Liga is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

A photo has been leaked on the Internet of what appears to be either Real Madrid’s away or third shirt for the 2013-14 season.

But which is it? Share your analysis in the comments section below as well as your opinion regarding the shirt design.

Designed and manufactured by Adidas, the blue shirt looks like something Chelsea would wear in the Premier League. It’s a well-designed shirt but it lacks originality.

What do you think?

Is This Real Madrid’s Away or Third Shirt for the 2013-14 Season? Leaked [PHOTO] is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

For the second time in a week, Real Madrid emerged victorious from El Clasico as the form of runaway leaders Barcelona continued to stutter. The Blaugrana’s lead over Atletico was reduced to 11 points as Los Colchoneros were held at Malaga, while Los Blancos are now just two points behind their city rivals.

Having already beaten Barca in the Copa del Rey in midweek, Jose Mourinho’s men repeated the trick in La Liga in far more convincing fashion than the scoreline suggests. Technical assistant Jordi Roura is overseeing the side in the absence of Tito Vilanova, who is continuing his recuperation from cancer surgery in New York, but Barca appear to be lacking leadership and have become predictable.

Karim Benzema put a significantly weakened Madrid ahead at the Bernabeu after just five minutes and, although Lionel Messi hit back quickly for full-strength Barca, the home side were on top throughout. Despite their dominance, Madrid had to wait until eight minutes from time for Sergio Ramos’ winner, while Barca keeper Victor Valdes received two yellow cards for dissent.

The Barca hierarchy will be grateful for the 11 point cushion separating them from Atletico, but must be concerned at their team’s inability to break down a Madrid side that saw many star names rested ahead of their Champions League clash with Manchester United. At the same time, Mourinho will be starting to believe his men can still pull off an unlikely title coup.

Meanwhile, Atletico and fourth-placed Malaga fought out a goalless draw at La Rosaleda, amidst mounting speculation that Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini could be destined for the Premier League. The Chilean, a former boss at the Bernabeu, has been linked with a move to either Chelsea or Manchester City in the summer.

Valencia remain fifth following their city derby with Levante at Mestalla. Vicente Iborra put the visitors ahead early on, only for Jonas to equalise for Los Che. The home side took the lead after the break through Roberto Soldado, but Jose Barkero salvaged a point for Juan Ignacio Martinez’ men, whose own European hopes appear to be fading fast.

There was high excitement at Anoeta, where Real Sociedad and Real Betis shared six goals. Betis took a 2-0 lead with goals from Jorge Molina and Dorlan Pabon, but Sociedad hit back with three goals in 12 second half minutes, courtesy of Carlos Vela, Inigo Martinez and a Xabi Prieto penalty. Pabon grabbed his second as both sides took a well-deserved point.

Sevilla striker Alfredo Negredo was the star at the Sanchez Pizjuan in the Monday night game as the home side hammered Celta Vigo 4-1.  Negredo struck twice in the first half hour and, although Augusto Fernandez pulled one back for Celta, Gary Medel restored Sevilla’s two-goal cushion. Negredo then completed his hat-trick to leave the northerners firmly entrenched in the relegation mire.

Basement side Deportivo gained a point in a goalless home draw with Rayo Vallecano but remain seven points from safety, while Mallorca improved their chances of recovery by winning 2-1 at Granada. Nolito gave El Grano an early lead, which was cancelled out by Alejandro Alfaro and a draw seemed inevitable until Tomer Hemed’s injury time winner gave the islanders some hope of avoiding the drop.

Elsewhere, Getafe stayed within touching distance of a Europa League place with a 2-0 win over Zaragoza. Adrian Colunga and Sergio Escudero were on target for the Madrid side. Athletic Bilbao beat Osasuna 1-0 in an all-Basque encounter in Pamplona, thanks to with a second-half strike from Markel Susaeta, and Espanyol played out a goalless draw with Real Valladolid.

La Liga Roundup Gameweek 26: Cracks Appearing at Barcelona is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid all won again at the weekend, with the Catalans maintaining their 12-point lead at the top of La Liga and the two capital clubs vying for the runners-up spot. A more intriguing drama is the unfolding battle for the fourth Champions League place with no less than five sides in contention.

Barcelona failed to keep a clean sheet for the 11^th consecutive game against Sevilla at Camp Nou.  Lionel Messi’s winner meant the Argentine has now scored against every La Liga opponent this season, with the exception of Celta Vigo, who the Blaugrana face at the end of March. For the second week running, Barca were forced to come from behind to secure the three points following Alberto Botia’s goal for Sevilla just before half-time. David Villa equalised after the break before Messi’s decider.

Atletico were indebted to a 37^th minute penalty from Radamel Falcao – the Colombian’s 21st goal of the season – as they laboured to a 1-0 win over Espanyol at the Vicente Calderon.  The home side’s task was made harder when Gabi Fernandez was shown the yellow card twice in the last 15 minutes of the first half.

At the Riazor, Riki’s ninth goal of the season gave basement side Deportivo a half-time lead over Real Madrid. Depor, whose grasp on a Primera Liga place next season looks more tenuous with every passing game, put up a spirited display but were undone by Kaka’s equaliser and Gonzalo Higuain’s late winner. Los Blancos’ Angel Di Maria received two yellow cards in second half injury time.

Fourth-placed Malaga crashed 3-0 at Real Betis, with Jorge Molina , Mario  and Dorlan Pabon doing the damage for Pepe Mel’s men. Malaga had Ignacio Camacho dismissed early in the second half after receiving two yellow cards and are now just a point ahead of fifth-placed Valencia, for whom Jonas rescued a 2-0 deficit at Zaragoza.  An Apono penalty and a Helder Postiga strike gave the home side the lead, but Jonas’ double restored parity for Los Che. Zaragoza were left hanging on when their goalkeeper Leonardo Franco was shown a straight red card 15 minutes from time for handling outside the area.

Over-achieving Rayo Vallecano slipped up at home, going down 2-1 against Real Valladolid. Rayo defender Jordi Amat had an eventful second half, scoring an own goal to give Valladolid the lead before equalising a minute later. Manucho’s winner leaves Valladolid firmly in mid-table.

Real Sociedad came out on top in the Basque derby at San Mames to reinforce sixth-place – a point behind Valencia and two adrift of Malaga – and plunge Athletic Bilbao further towards the relegation mix. Ibai Gomez struck first for San Sebastian before goals from Antoine Griezmann, Imanol Agirretxe and Carlos Vela gave the men from San Sebastian a 3-1 win.

Celta Vigo’s 2-1 victory over Granada means they remain in the bottom three but with a lifeline, just two points behind Zaragoza. Iago Aspas and Mario Bermejo were on target for Celta while Odion Ighalo scored Granada’s goal.

Osasuna leap-frogged above Zaragoza, Athletic Bilbao and Granada with a surprise win at fading Levante. The game at the Ciutat de Valencia looked to be heading for a scoreless draw until the Iranian Masoud Soleimani gave the Pamplona outfit the lead with two minutes of normal time remaining. Kike Sola sealed the win in added time as Osasuna registered only their second away win of the season.

Giovani’s first half strike looked to have set Mallorca on the way to three much-needed points at home to Getafe, but a Diego Castro penalty levelled matters for the Madrid outfit before two late goals from Adrian Colunga deprived Gregorio Manzano’s men of a point. Mallorca are now only two points ahead of Deportivo and seven points from safety.

La Liga Roundup Gameweek 25: Top Three March On is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

Since being jettisoned into the spotlight of European football in October 2010 following his remarkable hat-trick against Inter Milan, Gareth Bale has gone from strength to strength.

The year 2013 has seen Bale continue to churn out a string of similar profile boosting, eyebrow raising performances for both club and country, the latest of which being in Tottenham’s 2-1 Europa League victory against Lyon which saw Bale turn in two flashy freekick goals from range. Of course performing with such panache on the big stage week in, week out naturally brings the media whirlwind out in force. Jamie Redknapp was quoted recently as saying Bale was up there with the Messi’s and Ronaldo’s of this world, describing the scintillating wideman as “absolutely world class”. Soccer Saturday’s Jeff Stelling then usurped Redknapp’s words of praise just days later stating “it’s got to the stage where you can say that Bale is better than Ronaldo because he’s simply unplayable”. Harry Redknapp, having had firsthand experience of Bale’s expertise as ex manager of Tottenham, has also stuck his neck on the line several times hailing Bale as the next Messi or Ronaldo. Whether Gareth can be pigeon-holed into the category where Ronaldo and Messi have sat unopposed for the past 5 years remains to be seen, although it cannot be denied that the hype surrounding Bale is gathering pace at an alarming rate and unlikely to slow down any time soon.

Despite being centric to what can only be described as a media love-in right now things haven’t always been rosy for Bale during his Tottenham tenure however. In what later became known as ‘The Curse of Gareth Bale’ it took him 25 appearances for the north London club before being on the winning side. Nevertheless, after producing a succession of consistently excellent performances this season (notching an impressive 13 EPL goals in 23 appearances along the way) it is clear to see Bale is certainly bringing nothing but good fortune to AVB’s team currently. Bale, well renowned for his strength, pace and effective nature in one-on-one battles between attacker and defender, is surprisingly still only 23 and will turn 24 in July. Though whether the left-sided dynamo will still be a Spurs player then is a question that only time will answer. If reports are to be believed, both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are said to be interested in his signature and I’m sure there are more global footballing superpowers monitoring his performance on a weekly basis.

The idea of Madrid being interested in a Tottenham player is generally regarded as unsurprising by most, specifically in light of the events of August 2012. Following the transfer of a certain Croatian midfield maestro from Tottenham to Madrid, a partnership was revealed between the two clubs and subsequently widely publicised. The partnership agreement between the two clubs was heavily dumbed down with fluffy terms such as ‘respect of best practices’ and ‘commercial relationships’ to make the eventuality of Luka Modric’s transfer to Madrid a slightly less sensitive subject for Spurs fans. However the gravitas of the situation largely boils down to Madrid getting first refusal on Tottenham’s players and furthermore makes the Bale to Madrid transfer ever more likely. Not that Tottenham will leave empty-handed of course. A mix between the contemporary inflated price tag and the furor currently surrounding Bale leads to speculation that an exchange in excess of €50m could take place should the deal go ahead.

The question remains however, should a Madrid or Munich splash such extensive cash on Bale would they be acquiring the services of another Messi or Ronaldo? The answer simply put, is no. Undoubtedly they would be purchasing an incredibly rare talent and a player who, on his day, is a natural game changer and match winner. However they wouldn’t be purchasing a player likely to be pushing the two aforementioned footballing giants for the end of year world football awards anytime soon. In a world where fluidity and versatility must be innate in the modern-day midfielder what exactly sets Bale apart from the likes of Cavani, Ozil or Ribery? Undoubtedly the comparisons between Bale and Ronaldo during his EPL tenure cannot be disputed, their explosive nature up and down the flanks are second to none. However aside from said lazy comparisons is there really any evidence (minus two and half seasons worth of consistency) that corroborates with the idea of the Welsh White Hart Lane wonderboy being on par with Messi or Ronaldo? It’s clear to see Gareth has the talent, the ability and the mentality to be one of the Premier League’s best but Redknapp, Stelling and co. may be overstepping the mark to claim he’s in the top three players in the world right now.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and… Gareth Bale? is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.

Lionel Messi hit his 300^th goal in a Barcelona shirt as the runaway leaders of La Liga came from a goal behind to defeat Granada on Saturday. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both won on Sunday to maintain second and third place respectively on a weekend when all of the top five were winners.

At Los Carmenes, Granada continued the good form that has seen them climb away from the danger zone when Odion Ighalo exposed Barca’s defensive frailties to register a surprise half-time lead. Messi restored parity with his 300^th goal for La Blaugrana before his 301^st rubber-stamped the three points with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Atletico Madrid maintained their four-point lead over their city rivals, winning 3-0 at Real Valladolid. Radamel Falcao’s 20th of the season gave Atleti a first-half lead, Diego Costa extended it shortly after the break and Cebolla Rodriguez sealed it in the 90^th minute.

Meanwhile, an under-strength Real Madrid team made heavy weather of beating Rayo Vallecano 2-0.  Rookie striker Alvaro Morata scored in the third minute and Sergio Ramos doubled Los Blancos’ advantage in the twelfth. The fiery defender was dismissed on 17 minutes after collecting two yellow cards in the space of 44 seconds, leaving Jose Mourinho’s side to play out the remainder of the match with 10 men.

Malaga and Valencia both won at home to maintain fourth and fifth place respectively. Javier Saviola’s 18^th minute strike was enough for Malaga to overcome Athletic Bilbao 1-0 at La Rosaleda, while Valencia defeated Mallorca 2-0 at Mestalla. Gregorio Manzano’s visitors made a difficult task even harder when Tino Costa saw red after half an hour and, after a scoreless first half, goals from Ricardo Costa and Roberto Soldado gave Valencia the points.

Real Sociedad maintained sixth position with a 1-1 draw against Levante at Anoeta in a game highlighted by two penalties and a red card. Carlos Vela’s 17^th minute spot-kick for Sociedad was cancelled out by Michel’s on half an hour. The men from Valencia had Nikos Karabelas sent off as the sides shared the points.

There were contrasting fortunes for the two Sevilla sides. Real Betis slipped up at ever-improving Espanyol, for whom Sergio Garcia’s seventh-minute goal was enough, while Sevilla beat Deportivo 3-1 on Friday night to leave the Galicians in a parlous state at the foot of the table. All the goals came in the first half at the Sanchez Pizjuan, with Ivan Rakitic and two from Gary Medel giving Sevilla the advantage and Riki netting for Depor.

Kike Sola’s fourth-minute goal eased Osasuna’s relegation worries as the Pamplona side beat Zaragoza 1-0 but, with Mallorca losing at Valencia and Celta beaten 3-1 at Getafe, daylight is beginning to appear between the bottom three and the rest. Adrian Colunga, Diego Castro and Fede Fernandez were on target for Getafe, with Augusto Fernandez’ first half goal for Celta barely a consolation.

La Liga Roundup Gameweek 24: 300 Up For Messi is a post from La Liga News from La Liga Talk.