La Liga - Jornada 26

Getafe - Mallorca GolT/C+Li Sab-18:00
Sporting - Athletic GolT/C+Li Sab-20:00
Sevilla - Deportivo LaSexta Sab-22:00
Villarreal - Xerez PPV Dom-17:00
Tenerife - Espanyol PPV Dom-17:00
Atlético - Osasuna GolT Lun-21:00
Racing - Zaragoza PPV Dom-17:00
Almería - Málaga PPV Dom-17:00
Barcelona - Valencia GolT/C+Li Dom-19:00
Valladolid - Real Madrid C+ Dom-21:00

COME ON VALENCIA!

Villa doubtful

Villa's in the squad but I'd be surprised if he starts. Mata, Silva, and Zigic (or Chori Dominguez) should be more than enough firepower. I read that Valencia are struggling for fit defenders, if true that's probably much more important than Villa being missing.

Massive day in the title race. Madrid will win at Valladolid, so it's up to Pep and Barça (esp. whoever out of Henry and Bojan start) to make a statement. Emphatic win will really keep confidence high and put the pressure on Madrid...poor performance leading to a disappointing draw (I'm not even contemplating defeat) will create a negative atmosphere.

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Yesterday's results

Getafe 3-0 Mallorca
Sevilla 1-1 Deportivo
Sporting 0-0 Athletic (this game was special because all 28 players on the pitch - 11 starters and 3 subs each - were Spanish)

Espanyol hammered 4 - 1 by Tenerife

Fantastic individual goal by Messi.

Massive sequence of play in the game. Zigic misses when clean through on goal, a huge let off for Barca, and then seconds later Valencia are reduced to 10 men.

jesus

Messi>>>>>>>>Rooney

I really hope we don't draw Barca.

Handbags between Zigic and Piquet after the former trips over Alves and rolls over him.

Henry didn't score, but he made the difference after half time

Effenberg wrote:I really hope we don't draw Barca.

we always draw one of the top2 favourites in the quarters

arseanl always gets the easiest draw

Just saw the replay for Messi's first goal, notice Henry crying for the ball, he must think his still at Arsenal, Messi is king at Barca Biaaaatch.

How about milito, its like he was never out injured, surely their is a place for him in the argentina squad this summer.

Özil wrote:

Effenberg wrote:I really hope we don't draw Barca.

we always draw one of the top2 favourites in the quarters

arseanl always gets the easiest draw

Not particularly. By the time you get to q/f everything's hard anyway. Last 5 seasons' q/f opponents below.

Juventus (2006)
Liverpool (2008)
Villarreal (2009)

Brilliant freekick from Ronaldo to give Madrid the lead.

edit: Actually it took a slight deflection which put it perfectly in the top corner.

20 goals in 22 apps

A bit of a train crash match this but quite watchable.

Valladolid hit the woodwork!

TM wrote:20 goals in 22 apps

22?

Did you see that stamp on C.Ronaldo. Dirty c**ts!

Got some nasty bleeding stud marks on his shin

He's used to it. Just like playing Blackburn.

Wether he's used to it or not is not the issue, should have been a red.

Valladolid have come out and pressed and tackled hard which is ok and part of the game, but just stamping on someone's shin is out of order.

EM La Liga wrote:

TM wrote:20 goals in 22 apps

22?

Yupp!

Higuain really is a fantastic finisher. What I like most about him is his calmness and composure - he doesn't have the swagger about him like Ronaldo, doesn't create a fuss, he just gets on with it, takes his chances and works hard for the team. You'd think he was a veteran in his 30's.

Luis wrote:Higuain really is a fantastic finisher. What I like most about him is his calmness and composure - he doesn't have the swagger about him like Ronaldo, doesn't create a fuss, he just gets on with it, takes his chances and works hard for the team. You'd think he was a veteran in his 30's.

If only he could have been like that against Lyon

Cristiano wrote:

Luis wrote:Higuain really is a fantastic finisher. What I like most about him is his calmness and composure - he doesn't have the swagger about him like Ronaldo, doesn't create a fuss, he just gets on with it, takes his chances and works hard for the team. You'd think he was a veteran in his 30's.

If only he could have been like that against Lyon

Just happens like that in some games unfortunately.

La Liga Top Scorers

Messi 22
Higuain 19
David Villa 17
C.Ronaldo 15
Diego Forlan 12
Roberto Soldado 12





My bet at the start of the season was David Villa but Messi is looking untouchable.

From our good friends at Marca, during their live text commentary:

5' FUE PENALTI LO DE RAMOS. El de Camas quiso despejar y golpeó a Nauzet dentro del área. No lo pitó Mejuto.

Villarato


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@Effenberg: If you watch the first half of our game last night, you shouldn't be worried. As I've posted in the Barça thread, the team was nothing like the Barça we know.

Passing game from defense to midfield to attack was non-existent; none of the front 3 attempted to run behind or stretch the Valencia back 4; and our own back 4 sat too deep, allowing the Valencia trio of Alba-Silva-Pablo plenty of space to play 'between the lines'.

The question of course is whether Bayern can follow the same tactical template defensively. They already have the dangerous wide attackers to push the Barça defense back, so after that it's just a question of Gomez/Klose/Muller being more efficient with the chances than Valencia were last night.


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If anyone still wonders why people rate Messi higher and like him more than Ronaldo, last night was a perfect illustration. Both scored crucial opening goals for their teams, but while Ronaldo does it with a powerful shot from distance or a good header, Messi does it in the way that everyone dreams of when you were a little kid - dancing past 3 defenders and slotting it past the keeper. That's magic...and such moments stick in people's heads more than those produced by someone who can shoot with power and accuracy.