Official La Liga Thread

[IAceI]

Nah I have a stream, easy enough to find, often try and catch the Athletic matches when possible. 1:0 Llorente, point blank header - he gets loads of them, a fiend for finding space that man.

EDIT: Athletic won 1:0. In truth it could have finished all manner of scores between 4:3 to 1:1 or so. Surprised Sevilla didn't get on the scoresheet but Athletic's back four and Iraizoz in goal were all fantastic. Muniain continues to be one of the most talented young players on the planet right now, his control of the ball at speed is Messi-esque.

Looking forward to Real Madrid v Valencia later. Expecting a similar, entertaining game as the Athletic/Sevilla one, but with more goals in this case.

Edited April 8, 2012 by IAceI

[IAceI]

Real Madrid look ferocious but Valencia have had a few close efforts. That said Valencia must feel like they've been out there for an hour already, not fifteen, and I've taken Madrid over 2.5 goals at a relatively unattractive 4/6, it seems like a sure thing that they'll get at least three though. I have it on mute while I watch PSG v Marseille on my laptop and all the time it looks like Madrid are set up an attack. You imagine once they get that first and get their teeth sunk in, it could get messy.

[Liam]

Finding it hard to score so far are Madrid, and Valencia have had some decent chances themselves. Shaping up for a really good second half.

[IAceI]

It's bizarre with Real Madrid, it feels as if they need that goal for the opposition to kick them into life. I honestly believe had Valencia got a goal that Real Madrid would have kicked on and got two or three by now, that's just how they operate. They need that fire lit under their backsides to get them to perform. Hopefully Mourinho is having some strong words with them and they come out in the second half and play some better football, link up better and create those chances.

That said, Marcelo has looked woeful at times, and in contracts Sofiane Feghouli has looked like the player that Valencia wanted him to be when they took him from Grenoble, and the Valencia defensive have done a good job of constricting Ronaldo and frustrating him. I suppose a frustrated Ronaldo is either a very good or very bad thing depending on how he responds, at the moment he just looks desperate to score and the more he misses, the more upset he becomes.

As you say Liam, shaping up for a good second half but you always have that feeling that if Real Madrid score and kick it up a notch - they can quickly put breathing space in between them and Valencia. Barcelona will be watching with pleasure as well if it stays like this or Valencia take one of their chances as they are threatening to do. Especially with another Clasico in the not too distant future.

[Colly]

Am I the only one put off La Liga solely because of Aces daft ratio scoreline reporting? 4:3? Is that 4-3 or any variant, 16-12 maybe?

[IAceI]

It's just a fad. I'll get over it. It's marginally quicker when I type on my phone and it's just translated to everything else.

If I write 4-3, you sure you won't get confused and wonder what 1 means?

[Colly]

If I did my head would explode watching the classifieds on a Saturday teatime.

[IAceI]

Ah, so because I do it a way more popular on the continent than England you can't manage? Noted.

[Colly]

I've never seen it on the continent either, reckon it must just be a Carlisle thing. You people are kerazy.

[IAceI]

Obviously not cultured enough then, get your passport renewed and you can leave the Geordie Nation for a while and see the sights. Even if you just pop over to Cumbria, we have the Lake District.

Anyways, the lead at the top of Primera Liga is being cut away bit by bit and we still have one more Clasico to go, and recent history would tell us that Barcelona are going to win that one so the Spanish league isn't over just yet, especially since Real Madrid seem to be struggling to close out the league and Barcelona's form has been top for the past for over a month now where they just continue to take maximum points. If Barcelona were to win the league this season it would be absolutely mortifying for Mourinho, I think he'll just call it a day and go elsewhere for a job. He can talk of conspiracies and Barcelona favouritism but I think he knows he can't beat them, still, if he can win the league then he's done a good job. Their problem seems to be that they panic too much, they get desperate and every player such as Ronaldo, Higuain and Di Maria want to be the hero and when it doesn't work, they try harder and fail more. If Ronaldo blew his cheeks out and flapped his arms any more tonight he'd have lifted off the ground I think.

Shaping up for a tasty run in for the end of the league. As is Germany, France and Italy.

[EddieG]

psht, Dutch league is plenty exciting yet still as well, top 6 are within 4 points of each other with 5 games left.

And psht, I'm from the continent, and lived in another country on the continent, and never seen it done 4:3, only 4-3.

[IAceI]

All the lot I follow for stuff like Poland, Russia and that seem to have an inkling to doing it with a colon - but let me pose the real question - does it actually, really matter?

And yes I'm aware the Dutch league is quite close as I remember it being mentioned, I only said France, Germany, Spain and Italy as they are the leagues I watch matches from on a regular basis - even though ESPN carry the Dutch league I never really watch much of their teams other than in the Europa League. Probably watch more Belgian and Russian football in that case actually. But yes, the Dutch league is really close as well.

[Colly]

Ha!

Also, off to Germany in a few weeks, though stupidly our flight home is half an hour before Bremen play Schalke. Gutted.

[IAceI]

Would be a good game, especially as Schalke are chasing Champions League, although it nearly seems assured now since Borussia Monchengladbach have very much gone off the boil. Still, 'Gladbach's performance this season is nothing short of remarkable considering the bind they were in before Lucien Favre came and saved the day for them. So for them to even be fourth is a great achievement, will be interesting to see how they perform without Reus next season. I assume Patrick Hermann will have to step up even more and deliver as well.

Not to mention Schalke have the brilliantly named Julian Draxler. Which would be worth the - cheap - ticket price alone.

Edited April 8, 2012 by IAceI

[Colly]

Plus Huntelaar, the king of Spain, and the deceptively not English Lewis Holtby, who always makes me think of Michael Caine in Escape to Victory. Never mind, next time.

[IAceI]

Ah Lewis Holtby who may as well extend his name by deed poll to:

"Lewis Holtby, half-English, half-German - boyhood Everton fan."

Although that would probably be harder to fill in on forms and stuff.

[Liam]

Madrid have just equalised against Madrid, 1-1.

Atletico, mind. Falcao.

35 minutes to go, and Real are in some trouble.

[Gazz]

Ronaldo's free kick was ridiculous. How do you wrong foot a keeper from 35 yards?

[IAceI]

Atletico have not let Real do anything at all, Ronaldo's been frustrated because he got a few kicks early doors and started his exasperated routine, hence why a set piece seemed to be his best chance. Falcao is such a specimen though, he's just a complete forward. Still think there's another goal in this game somewhere.

[IAceI]

Did that the other week at football. With my weaker foot. Twice.