Official La Liga Thread

[Summers]

Mourinho is awesome.

Who hit Ozil, anyway?

[Starvinho]

Can't beat a good olde El Clasico!

[iiMarco x]

Mourinho pulling some guys ear :lmao:

That was cool of him 1

[TCO]

There actually is no sporting parallel to Barcelona vs Real Madrid. The pure quality on show combined with the hated and agression just comes together for an awesome 2 hours of football.

I'd like to see what happened to Ozil though, he looked proper pissed off. I loved casualness of the commentator too

"Pinto's been sent off again"

[MJB]

Sounds like a shit game to me

Fuck.

[iiMarco x]

Sounds like a shit game to me

Fuck.

It was a great game IMO

[TCO]

Sounds like a shit game to me

Fuck.

It was a great game IMO

[IAceI]

Where do Barcelona come up with it all? All three goals were quality, Messi's ball through was absolutely sublime for Iniesta but you wonder why he was allowed to just go between the two centre backs without so much as a second glance from either of them. But it was once again the Messi show, his brilliance almost offends me. His goal from the first leg where he actually bounces off someone to change direction and hold onto the ball.

Based off these two matches so far it seems like El Clasico's this year may come with all the same spice off the pitch but actually also deliver on the pitch as these have been two brilliant matches so far. You could say it's a pointless trophy but there is no pointless match between either of these; they both wanted to win and it looks like Real Madrid may be getting closer to Barcelona - but they're still some way off and would be hard to see anything other than a Barcelona league win.

That is, of course, when the league begins as the players are going to strike over the CBA as they feel they need protection for possible loss of earnings, since virtually every team in the league has no money. It's a shame, and I was looking forward to the Athletic v Real match - Bielsa's first game in charge and Herrera has moved to Athletic so they should be improved, also still got Llorente leading the line - but it doesn't look likely now. Barcelona v Malaga too on opening day, that would have been an interesting clash.

[Lineker]

Players in Spain's top two divisions will strike on the first day of the season after Friday's negotiations with clubs on wage guarantees collapsed.

The Association of Spanish Footballers is demanding that players be allowed to break their contracts if they are not paid for three consecutive months.

"Our positions are very far apart," said Professional Football League chairman Jose Luis Astiazara.

"We are concentrating now on being able to save the second day."

More to follow.

Oh well.

[EddieG]

As I said on my facebook status, just means we don't have to start the season against Barca, which can only be a good thing.

[Starvinho]

Ronaldo starting this season as he finished the last, he's just completed his hat-trick against Zaragoza. That's his 14th goal in the last 6 La Liga games.

6-0 FT.

Edited August 28, 2011 by Starvinho

[Guest flierthananostrich]

Ronaldo continues to be absolutely the best. His scoring record is second to none, well second to Messi but you get my point. Id take Ronaldo over Messi in my team any day of the week.

[Marcos]

Ronaldo continues to be absolutely the best. His scoring record is second to none, well second to Messi but you get my point. Id take Ronaldo over Messi in my team any day of the week.

[IAceI]

Can't believe Athletic Bilbao didn't manage to get at least a point at Espanyol yesterday. They were getting the ball down and knocking it around really well, a massive departure from the direct game they used to play, but Alvarez was sensational in goals for Espanyol and Iraizoz less so for Athletic. I'm sure Garcia got a bit of a touch on the second one to cause him to spill it, before Garcia juggled it over him and in the net but you'd expect a goalkeeper to deal with it a bit better.

Hopefully Bielsa is given time at Athletic, it's a work in progress and you can see there's definitely something there. Also it's testament to his ability when Llorente has a relatively bad game but still scores a beautiful header to equalise.

[Baddar]

Is the Malaga-Granada game on TV tonight? If not, I might have to stream it. I want to watch as many of their games as possible, despite the disappointment of the first game.

[EddieG]

Is the Malaga-Granada game on TV tonight? If not, I might have to stream it. I want to watch as many of their games as possible, despite the disappointment of the first game.

Don't think it is, I'll be looking for a stream as well, first Andalucia Derby in a few decades.

[IAceI]

I think they said it's on Sky Sports Xtra which is a subscription online channel now I believe?

[Lineker]

Sky Sports Xtra still exists? I thought it died a death to allow Sky Sports 4 to be born.

[IAceI]

It did, when interactive services became common enough to go on all the Sky Sports channel. However it seems to have lived on in a subscription online form for the website. Something I only found out yesterday when they advertised the match during the Athletic Bilbao game.

[IAceI]

Dani Alves is being seriously exposed for his lack of defensive ability against Valencia here. Mathieu has absolutely torn him to pieces and Valencia just keep attacking down the left and are really showing Barcelona's weak defensive attributes. Alves is always too far forward to be effective enough, then they're just crossing it in while Puyol, Mascherano and Abidal get themselves in a twist at the back.

I really haven't seen Barcelona look quite this fragile in quite a while, and with know Iniesta or Villa, there just isn't the movement. There only ever seems to be two players making those searching, attacking runs. I thought Busquets would have played in the holing role with Fabregas and Xavi in front and then Villa, Messi and Pedro as the attacking trio. But he has Kieta in the holding role, Busquets in the front and Fabregas one of the three strikers essentially. We need to see Villa sooner or later, because Emery has Guardiola's number here and Alves can't cope with their attacks on the left - so they need a player to play on the right wing essentially, which neither Messi or Fabrgeas will do. Villa to the left and Pedro shifted to the right.

Still, at least it's an entertaining match unlike the Madrid match before it.