<div id="attachment_3164" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/04/Roman-Theater-Malaga.jpg"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>The Roman Theater in Málaga was discovered in 1951, and its origins date back to the time of the Roman Empire and Caesar Augustus.</div>
With El Clásico in the rear-view mirror, La Liga continues forward with a mid-week round that will help shape the European and relegation battles.
For Real Madrid, a mid-week match should be good for them so that they can move on quickly from a mentally and physically draining edition of El Clásico.&nbsp; With Barcelona holding a three-point lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over Real Madrid, Los Merengues know that any slip-up in their final seven matches will spell certain doom if they have any aspirations of reclaiming La Liga from Barcelona.&nbsp; They journey to Andalucía and encounter an Almería side that were played off the pitch by Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Despite that setback, Juan Manuel Lillo has led Almería to a second-half renaissance and sit a comfortable eleven points above the drop zone.&nbsp; He will have to right his defense that were dizzied by Athletic Club to counter an angry Real Madrid.&nbsp; Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuaín, and their teammates will want to prove a point that they have not given up on the season, and Manuel Pellegrini knows that if he does not win out, the axe will likely fall on him.
A few weeks ago, the teams involved in the fight for the final Champions League spot and the two Europa League berths mired in mediocrity, as none of them seized the race by the throat.&nbsp; Those same teams will regret not taking advantage of the previous situation because they now are all playing well with the season peaking to its climax.
Villarreal and Getafe currently stand as the first two teams outside of the final Europa League place, and they meet in the late Tuesday kickoff in a critical match that could eliminate the loser from European contention.&nbsp; Getafe has only lost one of their last seven matches with a 3-3-1 record.&nbsp; Getafe has adjusted well without Roberto Soldado as their lone striker.&nbsp; Miku continues to deputize for Soldado, and Manu and Pedro León have stepped up to share the scoring load with Miku in Soldado’s absence.
After Real Madrid obliterated Villarreal 6-2 in late February, the Yellow Submarine has sailed smoothly in La Liga.&nbsp; Villarreal has played even better than Getafe recently, losing only one of their last eight matches with a 5-2-1 record.&nbsp; Juan Carlos Garrido shifted from Ernesto Valverde’s 4-2-3-1 to a more attacking 4-3-3, and their recent results speak for themselves.&nbsp; The forward trio of Joseba Llorente flanked by Nilmar on his right and Giuseppe Rossi on his left has given stability to an attack that sputtered throughout the majority of the season.
Villarreal has only won twice in fifteen away matches this season, but they won their most recent away trip at Real Valladolid.&nbsp; While Getafe is light years ahead of the supine Pucela, Villarreal’s confidence remains at a season high, and it will be the jobs of Derek Boateng and Fabio Celestini to disrupt Villarreal’s passing football in the midfield.
Athletic Bilbao, in opposition to Getafe and Villarreal, control their own destiny in terms of European qualification.&nbsp; Two points ahead of Villarreal for the final Europa League spot and three points behind Sevilla for the final Champions League place, Joaquin Caparrós’ squad looks poised to return to Europe next season.&nbsp; At this point of the calendar last season, the only objective was the Copa del Rey final because they were well behind the European spots as well as far enough above the relegation zone to be secure in the top flight.
Athletic Bilbao travel to the Mestalla on Thursday night to face a Valencia club whose seemingly inevitable third place finish has suddenly come into question.&nbsp; Gutted by their elimination from the Europa League by Atlético Madrid, Los Che were a shell of themselves on Sunday when they lost to Mallorca 3-2, a score that hid their deficiencies that night.&nbsp; Sevilla and Mallorca are only five points behind them for automatic qualification into the group stage of the Champions League, and Valencia cannot continue to dwell on their continental dismissal.
Valencia’s defense took another injury hit when Hedwiges Maduro was forced to leave the Mallorca game early, and when midfielder Manuel Fernandes filled in for Maduro in central defense, the results were horrific.&nbsp; Already missing Bruno Saltor, Carlos Marchena, Jérémy Mathieu, Ángel Dealbert, and Miguel Monteiro, Valencia cannot afford to add Maduro to the training room staff’s responsibilities.
Although Éver Banega has apologized for his petulant behavior following his substitution in the second half of the Mallorca game, that ugly episode is an instance of the growing frustration in the Valencia squad over their recent poor play, and if they do not significantly improve by 10:00 PM local time on Thursday night, Athletic Bilbao will roll past them and give Sevilla and Mallorca a chance to move within two points of Valencia.
The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.
Note: ESPN 360 has rebranded itself as ESPN3.
Apr. 13
Real Valladolid vs. Sevilla – 1:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456
Getafe vs. Villarreal – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3
Apr. 14
Racing Santander vs. Espanyol – 1:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456
Osasuna vs. Málaga – 1:45 PM on DirecTV channel 457
Atlético Madrid vs. Xerez – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3
Mallorca vs. Real Zaragoza – 1:55 PM on Gol TV
Barcelona vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3
Apr. 15
Almería vs. Real Madrid – 1:55 PM on Gol TV
Valencia vs. Athletic Bilbao – 3:55 PM on Gol TV
Unfortunately, the Sporting Gijón – Tenerife match at El Molinon will not be shown on US TV.

La Liga Preview and US TV Listings for Jornada 32: Apr. 13 - Apr. 15 - World Soccer Talk

La Liga Preview and US TV Listings for Jornada 32: Apr. 13 – Apr. 15

<div id="attachment_3025" style="width: 505px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Sevilla-Trio.jpg"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>The Sevilla Trio in more harmonious times.</div>
When Sevilla hosted cellar-dweller Xerez on Tuesday evening, an aura of uneasiness surrounded the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.&nbsp; In the front of the&nbsp;Sevillistas‘ minds was the poor form of their team.&nbsp; An extended run of indolent performances culminated on Saturday evening with a 2-0 debacle against Espanyol, where Sevilla would lose Jesús Navas for a month with an ankle injury.
Sevilla manager Manolo Jiménez refused to participate in a pity party for his team, rejecting notions that injuries are the main reason for their current slide.&nbsp; When he spoke to the club’s website about the current situation, he remarked:
<blockquote>“We’ve gotten ourselves in this situation, and it’s us who has to drag the team out of it.&nbsp; We must seek solutions and not make excuses.&nbsp; If we now use the problems as excuses, we are not going to go anywhere… I fear nothing.&nbsp; We will reach third place.”</blockquote>
Sound and logical words from the boss, but in this business, where results remain the only true capital, his team has not recently provided the wins necessary for a club with such high expectations.

When former Sevilla manager Juande Ramos resigned in October 2007 to fill the job opening at Tottenham Hotspur, Sevilla promoted Manolo Jiménez from its reserve team Sevilla Atlético with the hope that Jiménez would continue their upward ascent as a burgeoning Spanish and European force.
This ascension started under Joaquin Caparrós, when he led Sevilla to the Segunda División crown in 2001 and was promoted to the top flight.&nbsp; With homegrown talents José Antonio Reyes, Sergio Ramos, Antonio Puerta, Antonio Barragán, etc. flooding the Sevilla cantera, there was no chance that Sevilla would struggle to remain in La Liga.&nbsp; After an eighth-place finish and a tenth-place finish in their first two years back in La Liga, Sevilla finished the 2003-04 season in a landmark sixth-place, earning a ticket into a European competition, specifically the UEFA Cup, for the first time since 1995.
Sevilla president José María del Nido, however, refused to be caught up with his team’s triumphs.&nbsp; With Real Madrid and Barcelona receiving the vast majority of the TV broadcasting money, del Nido knew he had to sell his most prized assets to infuse extra cash into the team and ensure future success domestically and internationally.&nbsp; He sold José Antonio Reyes to Arsenal in the 2004 winter transfer window for €25 million, and in the 2005 summer transfer window, del Nido sold Sergio Ramos to Real Madrid for €27 million, then a record fee for a Spanish teenager.
To fill the absence of these wonderful talents, del Nido, along with sporting director Ramón “Monchi” Rodríguez, brought in players from around the world at relatively inexpensive prices.&nbsp; These players included Dani Alves, Frédéric Kanouté, Christian Poulsen, Seydou Keita, and Júlio Baptista.&nbsp; All of these players, except for Kanouté, who still plays for the club, were eventually sold at a much higher price tag than at the price for which they were bought, and the Sevilla boardroom continues to be fiscally responsible to this day.
Del Nido made another change that at the time seemed to be a bit of a gamble.&nbsp; He replaced Caparrós before the 2005-06 season with Juande Ramos, an unremarkable manager whose last indentation on La Liga before del Nido bestowed the Sevilla job on him was leading Málaga to a ho-hum tenth place finish in the 2003-04 season.
In the next two and a half seasons, Ramos reached heights that this club never fulfilled in its history.&nbsp; Two straight UEFA Cups, consecutive top five finishes, a UEFA Super Cup over Champions League winners Barcelona, a Copa del Rey, and their first berth in the UEFA Champions League when they finished third in the 2006-07 season.
Ramos’ team played with a relentless style that flourished in the final third while simultaneously kept firm in their defensive half.&nbsp; Two new kids from the youth system began their journeys with the first team: Diego Capel and Jesús Navas.&nbsp; Ramos never hesitated to employ his young talent, and knowing that at some point his veteran players would be sold, it was somewhat necessary to bleed in these youth players into the squad.
Leaving Sevilla to follow the money at Tottenham (although who would not be tempted with a four-year contract worth €9 million a year), in stepped Manuel Jiménez Jiménez, a Sevilla lifer.&nbsp; He was Sevilla’s first-choice left back for nearly fourteen years from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s and after retirement as a player, he coached Sevilla Atlético for seven years, nurturing the Sevilla youth talent as they made their way into senior-team prominence, such as Carlos Marchena, Jesús Navas, etc.
With the keys to the car, Jiménez knew he had to impress immediately because his initial contract as the first-team manager was to expire at the end of the season.&nbsp; Topping their Champions League group with five wins out of six and relegating Arsenal to second place in the group helped Jiménez’s cause.&nbsp; Although Sevilla would lose to Fenerbahçe in the first knockout round on penalties and finish fifth in La Liga because Atlético Madrid held the head-to-head tiebreaker over them, del Nido was convinced that Manolo Jiménez was the right man, and he gave Jiménez a contract extension.
A third-place finish in the 2008-09 season, including one of the matches of the year when they defeated Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu 3-4 (a win, along with comments about Real Madrid having no shot to beat Barcelona in El Clásico the following week, that cost Real manager Bernd Schuster his job), gave Sevilla another chance to improve on their previous Champions League effort.
Through February 20 of this year, Sevilla achieved a place in the Copa del Rey final in May, their run capped off by dismissing title-holders FC Barcelona, first place in their Champions League group, handing Mallorca its first home loss in the league, and constancy in the top four of La Liga.&nbsp; Everyone involved with the club sought even higher aspirations in this campaign.
Then the slide commenced.&nbsp; A four-game winless streak in La Liga before the match with Xerez and a languorous effort in their second-leg defeat to CSKA Moskva that eliminated Los Rojiblancos in the first knockout round for the second time in three years threw the team into a black abyss.&nbsp; Surely, a home match against Andalucian neighbors Xerez would become the perfect antidote to cure Sevilla of its current malaise.
Through 90+ minutes, Sevilla looked to be on their way to a much-needed win.&nbsp; Although far from impressive, Frédéric Kanouté’s 62nd minute penalty seemed to be the decisive blow against a desperate Xerez squad that needed points wherever they could find them.
Marius Stankevicius gave away a cheap foul deep in the right flank, and although Fabián Orellana’s free kick was headed away into touch, the resulting throw-in by Sidi Keita led to a penalty box scramble, in which Xerez defender Leandro Gioda capitalized on the loose ball and slotted it past Andrés Palop.&nbsp; 1-1 final.&nbsp; It was only Gioda’s second goal this season for Xerez, the other coming in Xerez’s only away win this season, a 2-4 victory over Málaga.
Gioda might just be the kiss of death for the opposition when he scores, but that was little consolation for Manolo Jiménez, who could feel and hear the unerring venom from the Sevillistas at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, whistling and chanting for Jiménez to be sacked.
Their wishes came true on Wednesday, when Manolo Jiménez became the eighth manager fired in La Liga this season.&nbsp; In the press conference that confirmed Jiménez’s dismissal, sporting director Monchi commented:
<blockquote>“He (Jiménez) has done everything possible and impossible, and we only have words of appreciation for his work because he could not have been more professional.&nbsp; It is time to rejuvenate the team.”</blockquote>
Sevilla’s first-choice replacement, Luis Aragonés, did not accept the job, apparently quibbling with del Nido and Monchi over the length of the contract.&nbsp; Aragonés wanted the assurance of being contracted through the end of next season, but del Nido would only guarantee Aragonés through the end of this current campaign.
Michael Laudrup seems to be the second choice, although Sevilla has denied of any talks with the former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder and former Getafe coach.&nbsp; Whatever decision the Sevilla brass makes, the incoming manager will know that the Sevilla job has reached the point, at least in the mind of José María del Nido, where a Champions League spot is necessary and progressing beyond the first knockout stage of the Champions League is paramount.
For Manolo Jiménez, his first stint as a manager in a top-flight division can be classified as a success.&nbsp; No one questioned his passion for the game or his commitment to his players.&nbsp; For those who grew up in the Sevilla academy under Jiménez, like Jesús Navas and Diego Capel, this decision will affect them both professionally and personally.&nbsp; There is little doubt that he will manage again, possibly as soon as next season, but for a person that gave more than twenty-five years of his life to Sevilla, the hurt he feels at this moment will take time to heal.
Fueras de Juego
– Coming into this mid-week round, the top three teams had the top three defenses in terms of goals allowed, but who had the fourth-best defense?&nbsp; The men from Pamplona.&nbsp; Osasuna’s defensive line of César Azpilicueta at right-back, Nacho Monreal at left-back, and Miguel Flaño, Josetxo, and Sergio González as central defenders have propelled their team to a relatively comfortable gap above the relegation zone.&nbsp; With the third-worst attack in La Liga, their defensive intensity is essential to their success, and Barcelona certainly knows what kind of defense Osasuna possesses.
In October, Osasuna held Barça to a single goal, and a Gerard Piqué own goal in stoppage gave José Antonio Camacho’s men a share of the points.&nbsp; On Wednesday evening, credit is due to Osasuna’s defense more than the Blaugrana being off their game, and even though Barcelona would eventually win 2-0, Osasuna proved to be one of Barça’s fiercest competitors this season.&nbsp; Any team that can hold Lionel Messi scoreless twice in one season should be commended.
– Racing Santander, who has the worst home record in the league, hosted Mallorca, who had only won twice out of twelve away matches, on Wednesday evening.&nbsp; A 0-0 draw was inevitable, and that is exactly what happened.&nbsp; A valuable point for Mallorca at this stage of the season, but this chasm of a disconnect between home and away form is astonishing.&nbsp; Mallorca has earned a staggering thirty-six points while only gaining eleven points on the road, a point difference of twenty-five.&nbsp; Only Villarreal has a similar gulf in La Liga, with the Yellow Submarine garnering thirty points at El Madrigal while attaining only seven points away from home, a difference of twenty-three points.
– Valencia distanced themselves from the pack with their 1-0 win over Málaga and now possess a six-point lead over Mallorca for third-place and an automatic berth into the group stage of next year’s Champions League.&nbsp; As for the final Champions League spot and the two Europa League places, every team involved for those European invitations apparently wants to back into those invites rather than earning them.&nbsp; No team ranked fourth through ninth won in Round 29, and these teams have been so mediocre that Atlético Madrid, the model of inconsistency this season, now sits in eighth place after they defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Thursday.
– Getafe manager Míchel provided the quote of the round about his own dismissal late in his team’s 2-4 pounding by Real Madrid:
<blockquote>“All I said was, ‘If you were from Madrid you’d have protested it.’&nbsp; The linesman understood that I disrespected him, and I was sent off, but I have never spoken about referees or shown disrespect.”</blockquote>
George Orwell would be proud of Míchel for his valiant attempt at doublethink.

La Liga Review: The Guillotine Falls On Manolo Jiménez - World Soccer Talk

La Liga Review: The Guillotine Falls On Manolo Jiménez

<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Real-Madrid-Sevilla.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Real-Madrid-Sevilla.jpg"></a></figure></div>The Almería – Barcelona match had not concluded when Real Madrid took to the pitch, but a few minutes into their match with Sevilla, they knew that Barça slipped at the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos and dropped two points with a 2-2 draw against Almería.&nbsp; Expectations were that Real Madrid would not have the chance to grab at least a share of the lead away from the Blaugrana until the second Clásico meeting on April 11, but this unforeseen gift, wrapped in a bow by their archrivals to the northeast, laid at the doorstep of the Bernabéu for the Madridistas to open gleefully.
Unfortunately, Xabi Alonso put it into his own net in the 10th minute, and Ivica Dragutinovic scored an unlikely free kick that was meant to be crossed into a flood of players.&nbsp; Iker Casillas and Xabi Alonso looked at each other with contempt as both expected one another to handle the harmless ball.&nbsp; Xabi Alonso let the ball sail over his head, assuming that Casillas would catch it on the bounce.&nbsp; Casillas anticipated Xabi Alonso to head the ball away to safety and therefore did not cover the left post.&nbsp; The ball furtively sneaked into the bottom left corner of the net, and Sevilla held a 0-2 lead at the Santiago Bernabéu with 38+ minutes remaining.

A loss for Real Madrid against Sevilla, even in the capital city, would not have been a shocking revelation, and a defeat to the Andalusians would still have Los Blancos a mere three points behind Barcelona with thirteen matches left to overturn the deficit. Real Madrid manager Manuel Pellegrini entertained zero options of settling, as he removed Álvaro Arbeloa and Lassana Diarra from the action in the 55th minute and sent in two creative midfielders, Rafael van der Vaart and Guti, to revitalize the incessant but stagnant attack.
Observing that Sevilla had only one shot on target in fifty-five minutes, the unlikely Dragutinovic goal, Pellegrini concluded that there was little need for a second defensive midfielder and a stay-at-home left back.&nbsp; Real Madrid played intricate football in the middle of the pitch, used both flanks effectively, and dabbled in a more direct, long-ball approach up to that point, but Sevilla goalkeeper Andrés Palop and his defensive line held firm without a breach of goal.&nbsp; Los Nervionenses cared little that their two goals came courtesy of a Xabi Alonso own goal and miscommunication between Iker Casillas and Xabi Alonso on a Dragutinovic free kick.
Rafael van der Vaart and Guti certainly have the fecundity to create and exploit any gaps within the Sevilla defense, and each had differing problems with Pellegrini this season.&nbsp; Van der Vaart was supposed to be gone in the previous summer transfer window.&nbsp; He was not in Pellegrini’s blueprints to the point where Esteban Granero was given van der Vaart’s number 23 in the preseason.&nbsp; Wesley Sneijder, exiled by Real Madrid and eventually sold to Inter Milan, more than suggested to van der Vaart that he should leave to join a club that wanted him.
Van der Vaart stubbornly stayed with Madrid, feeling as though he was good enough for the team and wanted to prove his Madrid doubters wrong.&nbsp; While he has fought injuries throughout the season, van der Vaart showed himself to be the third attacking midfielder with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká.
As for José María Gutiérrez Hernández, that man known as Guti, Guti is and will always be Guti.&nbsp; Perpetually and chronically incorrigible, he has gotten under the skin of every Real Madrid manager since he first made it to the senior squad.&nbsp; If anyone tugs on his gossamer robe, he lashes out and leaves no one in his wake.
For a character like that, he should have been booted out years ago, but he still roams the pitch at the Santiago Bernabéu because of his truly world-class vision and passing distribution.&nbsp; The term “world-class” is bandied around quite frequently, but for Guti, the label fits.&nbsp; If he did not possess this type of talent, there is no way manager after manager would have kept this turbulent truculent on their squads.
Manuel Pellegrini could have easily phased out both van der Vaart and Guti if he let his ego get the best of him, but when the bell rung, he employed the players best suited for the situation rather than use others just because they did not vex him.&nbsp; What Madrid needed in the final half-hour against Sevilla were players that forced Sevilla’s defensive and midfield lines to lose their shape.
<div id="attachment_2912" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Sergio-Ramos.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2912" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-2912" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100308_WST_72168_Sergio-Ramos.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=337" alt="" width="500" height="337"></figure></div></a>Sergio Ramos getting R-rated after heading in the equalizer.</div>
Whereas the field tilted toward Andrés Palop’s goal in the first half, this Madrid torrent in the second half completely inundated everyone with a red tinge.&nbsp; A 60th minute Cristiano Ronaldo strike that benefited from a wicked Marius Stankevicius deflection and a 64th minute Sergio Ramos header from a van der Vaart corner turned the match completely around in the ten minutes since the substitutes entered the match.&nbsp; Guti struck the crossbar, and Gonzalo Higuaín hit the post and the crossbar on two separate shots in the ensuing ten minutes after the Ramos equalizer, but Pellegrini was not done with his tinkering.
In the 75th minute, he made the bold move of withdrawing the €65 million Kaká in favor of Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorer Raúl, who has made very few appearances since losing his starting spot early in the season.&nbsp; Kaká had a decent game, but van der Vaart and Guti accomplished more in twenty minutes than Kaká did in seventy-five.&nbsp; Pellegrini, soft-spoken but strong in his convictions, knew the gravity of the situation and wanted no less than three points.
<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Rafael-van-der-Vaart.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Rafael-van-der-Vaart.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2926" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100308_WST_72168_Rafael-van-der-Vaart.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=331" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></figure></div>
An ultra-offensive 4-1-3-2 formation proved to be too much for Sevilla, as Rafael van der Vaart outmuscled Stankevicius for a rebound from three yards out and converted his scoring chance after Palop understandably gave up a rebound from Higuaín’s header in the second minute of stoppage time.
The euphoria felt and created by the players sent the Madridistas into a higher state of consciousness as they witnessed the most electric thirty minutes of the La Liga season.&nbsp; Pellegrini, always the levelheaded statesman, put this match into its proper perspective when he spoke with Spanish sports daily Marca:
<blockquote>“There are still 39 points to play for.&nbsp; These are three important points.&nbsp; We will only be happy when our final objectives are obtained.&nbsp; Now we depend on ourselves.”</blockquote>
With all the emotion spent on conquering this two-goal deficit against Sevilla, Real Madrid will have little time to recover because they host Lyon on Wednesday in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League tie down a single goal.&nbsp; Whether they maintain this surging momentum into that match remains to be seen, and for all the plaudits and accolades they received on Saturday, a deluge of harsh criticism will be levied upon them if they fail to defeat Lyon and advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
That discussion, however, is for another day.&nbsp; Real Madrid and Barcelona are tied at the top of La Liga with thirteen matches remaining.&nbsp; Barcelona has the edge because they defeated Real 1-0 in November, and as the famous Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once quipped:
<blockquote>If you are first, you are first.&nbsp; If you are second, you are nothing.</blockquote>
Real Madrid would not want it any other way.
Fueras de Juego
– Athletic Bilbao’s resurgence this season is due to many factors, including a stellar home record and Fernando Llorente leading the line, but some credit has to go to Gaizka Toquero, the perfect wingman to Llorente’s hold-up play.&nbsp; Once a lower division vagabond with such illustrious clubs as SD Lemona, Sestao River Club, and SD Eibar, he caught the eye of Bilbao, although he was not in manager Joaquín Caparrós’ plans when Toquero first arrived in Bilbao.&nbsp; He scored both of Athletic’s goals in their routine 2-0 win over Real Valladolid on Sunday, including a clinical finish off the short-hop to give his team an insurmountable two-goal advantage.
– Felicitaciones to Xerez as they won their first match away from home in the top flight after defeating an in-form Málaga 2-4 in a match that featured two red cards, nine yellow cards and a penalty miss and a penalty make by Xerez winger Momo.&nbsp; Xerez manager Néstor Gorosito had an impossible task of keeping Xerez afloat after he replaced José&nbsp;Ángel Ziganda in January, and while Xerez is still ten points adrift of safety, Gorosito has instilled confidence in a team that had none before he arrived.
– The weekly drama that is Atlético Madrid came up with another plot twist, as Ibrahima Baldé scored in stoppage time to give Los Colchoneros an undeserved 1-1 draw.&nbsp; A poor match in terms of quality, Diego Forlán was livid when he was substituted with thirty minutes left, and Atleti seemed to release the guillotine on itself after José Antonio Reyes received a straight red card for flailing his arm at Eliseu Pereira, although what little contact Reyes made on Eliseu sent him into “unfathomable” pain.&nbsp; Clearly frustrated by Zaragoza’s bounty on him, he decided to take the law into his own hands in a half-hearted attempt to send a message.&nbsp; If Atlético manager Quique Sánchez Flores has not already been prescribed Thorazine, Zyprexa, or any other antipsychotic drug because he has to deal with this club on a daily basis, he needs them now.

La Liga Review: Real Madrid Proves To Be A Legitimate Threat to Barcelona - World Soccer Talk

La Liga Review: Real Madrid Proves To Be A Legitimate Threat to Barcelona

What a way to celebrate Raúl’s 500th appearance in Spanish first division.&nbsp; In addition to achieving such a milestone, Raúl also scored his 212th career goal in the 16th minute courtesy of a Gonzalo Higuaín pass into the box and the Madrid starlet took advantage of the jewel.&nbsp; Juande Ramos’ system of simplification seems to have worked and Real Madrid are on a tear. &nbsp; The reigning champs have not lost a game since their game at the Nou Camp and seem to be regaining the swagger they had last year.&nbsp; Although Mallorca should not have been a litmus test of any sort.&nbsp; They instead showed every reason why they are in second place if futility Madrid did what they had to do-pummel.&nbsp; Their performance was quite important, it was the best team performance so far this year and all of a sudden the Merengue fans are believing.&nbsp; Their 3-0 win on the island put Madrid was their first on the road in close to two months and it put them in second place; only by one goal in the goal difference category over a ten-man Sevilla side that won 3-1 against upstarts Deportivo at The Riazor.&nbsp; Enzo Maresca’s sending off in the first half seemed to have energized the Nervionenes.&nbsp; Add to that Frederic Kanouté’s entrance in the second half and he seemed to give Sevilla the edge that they needed.&nbsp; The Mali international was the make of the match as he assisted on all three second-half goals that helped them stay in the fight for the league title.
Even though they might have their spirits high, the reality is that they are still 12 points behind Barca.&nbsp; For a while it was thought that the lead would be cut to nine, but history trumped necessity this time around.&nbsp; Xavi made his 300th appearance for the blaugrana and scored the equalizer against complicated Osasuna side.&nbsp; Although the game started out in what was going to be a clinic on style and a graceful football.&nbsp; Lionel Messi gave people reason as to why he should be the FIFA Player of the Year with a brilliant performance.&nbsp; The Argentine international scored the game-winner in the 85th minute after being denied by both the Osasuna goalkeeper Roberto and the right post early in the match.&nbsp; They also made history by becoming the team with the most points in the league ever since they changed to the 20-team format.&nbsp; They surpassed the point total that was established by the Barcelona side that earned 46 points back in 2005-06.
Málaga continued to make their surprising run towards European Cup spots as they went into the Manuel Ruíz de Lopera and beat a relegation-compromised Betis side. Their 2-1 win put them two points away from the final UEFA Cup/Intertoto places.&nbsp; They further compromised Atletico Madrid who do not seem to find their way this season.&nbsp; After being one of the hottest teams in Spain, they have all of a sudden fallen on a funk both in league and Cup play. &nbsp; They are falling behind the pace as far as Champions League positions are concerned. After the day is done.&nbsp; They in hand helped Athletic Bilbao who are suddenly one of the hotter teams in La Liga right now.&nbsp; Their 3-2 win at the Vicente Calderón put them in 11th place with 23 points- 17 away from the “magic number” that teams strive for in order to stave off relegation.
Two other teams that are going through tough times are Villarreal and Valencia and they gave football fans one of the most exciting games so far this season.&nbsp; The Submarine emerged from a 2-0 deficit during injury time with a goal by Fuentes, then equalized in the second half with a goal by Llorente.&nbsp; This was the beginning of a scoring blitz that would continue with Edu who gave Valencia the lead six minutes later.&nbsp; But Medina Cantalejo has a way of becoming a protagonist in every game he referees.&nbsp; A non-existent penalty was easily cashed in by Italian international Giuseppe Rossi from 12 steps away as Villarreal would steal a point on the road in the Valencian derby.
Status Quo Down Below- Yeah, Right! 

With the exception of Almería, the bottom looks pretty much the same.&nbsp; Hugo Sánchez’&nbsp; side seems to be the that is currently getting out of the clear on this one right now.&nbsp; Their performance at the Olimpic Montjuic is just another nail in the Espanyol coffin, for about 94 minutes. If there was a game that could have been put in the fantanstic finish category it was the Espanyol-Almería match.&nbsp; Almería jumped out to a 2-0 lead thank to an Kalu Uche brace, but Román Martínez opened the scoring for the Pericos, but a dramatic free kick by Nicolás Pareja that broke the heart of Almería.&nbsp; Although Espanyol is still in the relegation zone, they get a point closer to Recreativo who are currently with 17 points.
Saturday&nbsp;
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/depor.jpg" title="depor.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/depor.jpg" title="depor.jpg"></a></figure></div>Deportivo 1-3 Sevilla<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-19.jpg" title="images-19.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-19.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-19.jpg"></figure></div></a>
DEP: Bodipo(33´)
SEV: Luis Fabiano (50′), Renato (78′), Diego Capel (90’+3′)
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-51.jpg" title="images-51.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-51.jpg" title="images-51.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-51.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-51.jpg"></a></figure></div>Valencia 3-3 Villarreal<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-18.jpg" title="images-18.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-18.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-18.jpg"></figure></div></a>
VAL: Baraja (1′), David Villa (10′), Edu (78′)
VIL: Fuentes (45’+1′), Llorente (76′), Rossi (83’pk)
Sunday
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-121.jpg" title="images-121.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-121.jpg" title="images-121.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-121.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-121.jpg"></a></figure></div>Numancia 2-0 Getafe<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images2.jpg" title="images2.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images2.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images2.jpg"></figure></div></a>
NUM: Barkero (7′), Díaz (80′ og)
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-61.jpg" title="images-61.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-61.jpg" title="images-61.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-61.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-61.jpg"></a></figure></div>Mallorca 0-3 Real Madrid<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-12.jpg" title="images-12.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="82" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-12.webp&amp;width=82&amp;height=81" alt="images-12.jpg" height="81"></figure></div></a>
MAD: Robben (2´), Raúl (16´), Sergio Ramos (67′)
&nbsp;<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-21.jpg" title="images-21.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-21.jpg" title="images-21.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="84" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-21.webp&amp;width=84&amp;height=78" alt="images-21.jpg" height="78"></a></figure></div> Atlético 2-3 Athletic <a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-151.jpg" title="images-151.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-151.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-151.jpg"></figure></div></a>
ATM: Antonio López (15´), Forlán (90’+2′)
ATB: Koikili (45´+1′), Domínguez (50’og), Llorente (66′)
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-161.jpg" title="images-161.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-161.jpg" title="images-161.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-161.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-161.jpg"></a></figure></div>Betis 1-2 Málaga<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-111.jpg" title="images-111.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-111.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-111.jpg"></figure></div></a>
BET: Apoño (37´)
MAL:&nbsp; Emana(18´), Eliseu (90’+2′)
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/images1.jpg" title="images1.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/images1.jpg" title="images1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="74" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images1.webp&amp;width=74&amp;height=89" alt="images1.jpg" height="89"></a></figure></div>Sporting 2-1 Valladolid<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-91.jpg" title="images-91.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="71" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-91.webp&amp;width=71&amp;height=83" alt="images-91.jpg" height="83"></figure></div></a>
SPO: Carmelo (18´), David Barral (35´)
VLL: García Calvo (88′)
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-141.jpg" title="images-141.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-141.jpg" title="images-141.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-141.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-141.jpg"></a></figure></div>Racing 1-1 Recreativo<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-71.jpg" title="images-71.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-71.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-71.jpg"></figure></div></a>
RAC: Johnathan Pereira (32´)
REC:&nbsp; Camuñas (42´)
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-171.jpg" title="images-171.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-171.jpg" title="images-171.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-171.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-171.jpg"></a></figure></div>Espanyol 1-2 Almería<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-131.jpg" title="images-131.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-131.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-131.jpg"></figure></div></a>
ESP: Martínez (62′)
ALM: Kalu Uche (3′, 54′)
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-81.jpg" title="images-81.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-81.jpg" title="images-81.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-81.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-81.jpg"></a></figure></div>Osasuna 2-3 Barcelona <a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-41.jpg" title="images-41.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_images-41.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-41.jpg"></figure></div></a>
OSA: Flaño (63´), Pandiani (73´)
BAR: Eto´o (45´), Xavi (80´), Messi (85´)
Standings
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/standings.jpg" title="standings.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/standings.jpg" title="standings.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090111_WST_72388_standings.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="standings.jpg"></a></figure></div>

La Liga Week 17 Scores - World Soccer Talk

La Liga Week 17 Scores

<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/raul20real20madrid1.jpg" title="Madrid Idol Raúl (Viva Deporte.com)"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/raul20real20madrid1.jpg" title="Madrid Idol Raúl (Viva Deporte.com)"></a></figure></div>
As if their lead was not wide enough, Barcelona could really seem uncatchable with only two weeks left in the first half of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp; It’s not going to be easy for the blaugrana as they will face current cellar dwellers in Osasuna.&nbsp;&nbsp; These are the kinds of matches that can be very tricky for a team like Barca.&nbsp; Remember the old adage… hunger and necessity always trump history.&nbsp; Right now Osasuna are in danger of relegation and justa&nbsp; point against the league leaders will be more than enough at the Reyno de Navarra.&nbsp; There is a chance that they could get all three as El Rojillo are one of those teams that have given Barcelona fits in recent years.
The win will keep pressure on the peloton that are behind them; but there are certain results that must emerge. Valencia know that only a win will help as they have Real Madrid and Sevilla breathing down their necks. &nbsp; Los Ches will host a Yellow Submarine that have quickly deep-sixed in the past two months.&nbsp; Villarreal are winless in their last four league matches and have struggled since their last road win at Recreativo on November 30th.
La Liga history will be made on Sunday.&nbsp; Real Madrid head to Mallorca to face another relegation-compromised side; and there is no pleasure in this trip.&nbsp; For Madrid, the Mallorcans are a tricky on the road.&nbsp; Raúl will make history in Spanish football this weekend as he will become the sixth player in league history to play in 500 games.&nbsp; He will also become the youngest to reach that number.&nbsp; The last player to reach this milestone was a former teammate of the Madrid demigod, Nano Soler.&nbsp; The veteran journeyman achieved this in the 1995-96 season when he was in the final stage of his career defending the colors of Mallorca. If all goes well for the Madrid striker he could surpass his former teammate in the when they travel to Gijón in February.
All-Time Appearances
1. Andoni Zubizarreta (622)
2. Eusebio (543)
3. Paco Buyo (542)
4. Manolo Sanchís (523)
5. Nano Soler (504)
6. Raúl González Blanco (500)
9.&nbsp; Xavi Hernández (300)
Sevilla seem like they are going through déja vu as they play Deportivo again.&nbsp;&nbsp; Baby Depor could end up in third place by the end of the weekend if they win and Madrid and Aleti loses to Athletic Bilbao.&nbsp; In La Coruña, this team is starting to reminisce about its teams from back in the 90’s and earlier in the decade.
Saturday&nbsp;
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/depor.jpg" title="depor.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/depor.jpg" title="depor.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_depor.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="depor.jpg"></a></figure></div>Deportivo- Sevilla<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-19.jpg" title="images-19.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-19.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-19.jpg"></figure></div></a>
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-51.jpg" title="images-51.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-51.jpg" title="images-51.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-51.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-51.jpg"></a></figure></div>Valencia – Villarreal<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-18.jpg" title="images-18.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-18.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-18.jpg"></figure></div></a>
Sunday
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-121.jpg" title="images-121.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-121.jpg" title="images-121.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-121.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-121.jpg"></a></figure></div>Numancia-Getafe<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images2.jpg" title="images2.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images2.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images2.jpg"></figure></div></a>
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-61.jpg" title="images-61.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-61.jpg" title="images-61.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-61.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-61.jpg"></a></figure></div>Mallorca-Real Madrid<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-12.jpg" title="images-12.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-12.webp&amp;width=82&amp;height=81" alt="images-12.jpg" height="81" width="82"></figure></div></a>
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-21.jpg" title="images-21.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-21.jpg" title="images-21.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-21.webp&amp;width=84&amp;height=78" alt="images-21.jpg" height="78" width="84"></a></figure></div>Atlético-Athletic<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-151.jpg" title="images-151.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-151.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-151.jpg"></figure></div></a>
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-161.jpg" title="images-161.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-161.jpg" title="images-161.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-161.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-161.jpg"></a></figure></div>Betis-Málaga<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-111.jpg" title="images-111.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-111.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-111.jpg"></figure></div></a>
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/images1.jpg" title="images1.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/images1.jpg" title="images1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images1.webp&amp;width=74&amp;height=89" alt="images1.jpg" height="89" width="74"></a></figure></div>Sporting-Valladolid<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-91.jpg" title="images-91.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-91.webp&amp;width=71&amp;height=83" alt="images-91.jpg" height="83" width="71"></figure></div></a>
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-141.jpg" title="images-141.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-141.jpg" title="images-141.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-141.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-141.jpg"></a></figure></div>Racing-Recreativo<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-71.jpg" title="images-71.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-71.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-71.jpg"></figure></div></a>
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-171.jpg" title="images-171.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-171.jpg" title="images-171.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-171.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-171.jpg"></a></figure></div>Espanyol-Almería<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-131.jpg" title="images-131.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-131.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-131.jpg"></figure></div></a>
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-81.jpg" title="images-81.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-81.jpg" title="images-81.jpg"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-81.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-81.jpg"></a></figure></div>Osasuna-Barcelona <a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/images-41.jpg" title="images-41.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20090110_WST_72386_images-41.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=310" alt="images-41.jpg"></figure></div></a>