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Real Madrid-Barcelona again! Is El Clasico losing its value?
Football fans were offered over 630 minutes of Clasico last year in 7 different clashes, and they still have 180 minutes of Clasico ahead of them before the end of January 2012.
Surely, the feeling ahead of the imminent pair of Clasicos this time is not the same as before. Some seasons ago, a match between Real Madrid and Barcelona was regarded as an extremely special gift.It was also considered as rare, as the two giants were most at times expected to face each other only in the two halves of La Liga. In other words, each side often had only two chances per season to better its record in the Spanish derby’s history.
Everything has changed now, and El Clasico has surprisingly turned into the most frequently played clash in Spanish football, recently. Between April 2011 and December 2011, Real Madrid and Barcelona met twice in the league, once in the Copa del Rey, twice in the UEFA Champions League and twice in the Spanish Super Cup.
Dropping Cristiano Ronaldo & 3 things Real Madrid must do to beat Barca at home
Real Madrid want to defend their Spanish Copa del Rey title at all cost. To make this wish a reality, they might need to follow the three rules mentioned in this article.
For Real Madrid, like for all clubs these days, beating Barcelona is a phenomenon. Joseph Guardiola’s Catalans have grown so mighty that opponents tremble in fear at the thought of facing them. Some downplay panic, but the outcome remains the same; Barcelona maintain their dominance at the end of the day.
Manchester United, AC Milan and Santos are some of the world’s top teams that have bowed down to the unrivalled power of the Blaugrana. It’s probably right to say that Real Madrid know even more suffering than Santos, Milan or 2009 and 2011 Champions League beaten finalists United. The routine of El Clasicos tells it all.
Since defeating Barcelona 4-1 in 2008, Real Madrid have managed only one victory against the Catalans. It occurred in the final of the Spanish Copa del Rey in April last year. A 103rd minute goal from Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo made the difference as Xavi, Lionel Messi and David Villa ran out of tonic. Madridistas described the victory as the beginning of a new era for Los Blancos and as the end of Barcelona’s dominance in Clasicos. Time and results, however, proved otherwise.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Preview
Once again, the Santiago Bernabeu will be set to flames. It’s the first leg of the Copa del Rey’s Real Madrid-Barcelona tie on Wednesday, January 18. You just can’t miss it!
Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance in the latest Clasico was so appalling that many fans and pundits, non-Madridistas and Madridistas alike, suggested that the player gets benched in the next Barcelona meeting. However, this is very like not to happen. What every Real Madrid supporter can now hope is for Ronaldo to live up to expectations at the Bernabeu.With the absence of the injured Sami Khedira, Jose Mourinho could use Pepe in midfield to mark the untouchable three-time world player of the year, Lionel Messi. This tactic actually worked in the first leg of last season’s Champions League semifinal tie. It only collapsed when the referee dismissed the Portuguese defender for a challenge he never committed on Dani Alves.
Mallorca vs Real Madrid Report
Real Madrid are very serious about snatching La Liga’s trophy from Barcelona’s hands. They defeated Real Mallorca on Saturday night to open a temporary 8-point gap at the top of the table.
The game was as tight as the score line can suggest. The Spanish giants had to toil the ground until everything changed during the last quarter of match. Towards the end of the first period, Tomer Herned put the hosts in front. Real Mallorca were deserving on this lead. Anti-Madridistas could join the home crowd in anxiety; how long would Mallorca hold on to this victory?
At the break, the home team was still in front. Sergio Ramos’ 45th minute effort was not accurate enough to cross the line. His firm header clashed against the post.
Mallorca vs Real Madrid Preview
In Saturday’s penultimate fixture in La Liga, Real Madrid will be away to Real Mallorca. Mallorca vs Real Madrid will begin at 7:00pm GMT (2:00pm EST).
This game will be Los Blancos’ second encounter away from home this week. Fatigue may be an issue within the squad but Jose Mourinho has an array of top names to choose from. In-form striker Karim Benzema played just over 20 minutes against Malaga in midweek whereas Kaka, Marcelo and Özil went through 45 minutes of action each.Don’t be surprised if Mourinho doesn’t offer Cristiano Ronaldo 90 minutes of football against Real Mallorca. The Portuguese striker looked angry, frustrated and quite ineffective during Real Madrid’s last two matches in all competitions.
Barcelona favourites against Osasuna: El Clasico guaranteed?
Real Madrid have already booked their place in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals and Barcelona are an inch away from joining them in the Last 8. Will there be a pair of Clasicos this month?
Most likely, yes… Barcelona won their first leg encounter in the on-going stage 4-0 against Los Rojillos. That result places them in perfect position to eye two meetings against arch-rivals Real Madrid in the following round.If ever Osasuna wish to overturn their opening leg’s score line, then they will have to keep a clean sheet this evening and score at least 5 goals. Should they concede a goal, their mission will be made harder, and being realistic; success on their behalf is not very possible at this stage.
For Barcelona, a terribly shocking exit would remind them of their disgusting disqualification from the Copa del Rey almost five years ago, when they got overpowered by Getafe on aggregate despite a 5-2 victory at the Camp Nou. This is not something Barca fans are currently anticipating; but then, they should hence prepare themselves to face Madrid twice this month.
Málaga vs Real Madrid Report
Real Madrid played with 10 men but still went through at the expense of Malaga.
In the biggest surprise, Jose Mourinho opted for a 4-3-3 formation instead of his usual 4-2-3-1 format. Karim Benzema started from the bench as Kaka joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Higuain on the frontline. For Malaga, Van Nistelrooy led the attack as a lone striker.
The match produced too much physical confrontation as both sides had an equal chance of going in front before the break. The scoreboard, however, displayed a 0-0 result at half time.
With the introduction of Mesut Özil and Marcelo in replacement of Khedira and Kaka respectively, Mourinho made his intentions clear: Los Blancos were going to push forward a bit more while keeping their eyes open in defense.
Málaga vs Real Madrid Preview
Do not count Malaga out just yet. They have a first leg deficit to overturn but the two goals they scored at the Santiago Bernabeu last week may mean a lot.
Malaga aren’t doing badly at La Rosaleda this season. That’s where they staged a late comeback to draw 2-2 against Getafe en route to the Spanish Copa del Rey’s Round of 16.But trace back Malaga’s home run in all competitions, and you’ll find an interesting fact. Manuel Pellegrini’s men haven’t lost any of their last five matches at La Rosaleda. Their most recent defeat at this venue dates from October 22; and it occurred in the hands of Jose Mourinho’s flying Blancos.
It was a thumping 4-0 defeat, which ended Malaga’s perfect home run. Prior to that, Los Boquerones enjoyed league wins against visitors Granada, Athletic Bilbao and Getafe.
Barcelona refuse to moan about denied penalty in 1-1 draw away to Espanyol
Real Madrid are known to blame referees when loosing points controversially. Archrivals Barcelona, however, want to stay distant from any sort of criticism directed to match officials.
On Sunday night, Barcelona secured nothing more than a draw away to Espanyol in the Catalan derby. The eventful match saw the visitors hit the net thrice. However, two of their three strikes got rightfully disallowed—the first one for Messi’s handball in the buildup, the second one for offside.Cesc Fabregas gave Barcelona a first-half lead but Alvaro’s equalizer ended the game 1-1. Very late on, though, the Blaugrana could have stolen all three points. Raul Rodriguez handled the ball in the penalty box, but the match officials weren’t interested in awarding a spot kick.
“There is a referee for that, and if he has not seen it, it's not a penalty,” President Sandro Rosell told Canal Plus when asked to comment on this crucial incident.
Espanyol vs Barcelona Report
With Real Madrid demolishing Granada 5-1 on Saturday night, Barcelona needed nothing less than 3 points against Espanyol to keep the pressure on their rivals.
Los Cules wasted no time in imposing themselves through their usual passing game. Espanyol however fired first, with Joan Verdu twice testing the Barca defence in a single intense moment. At their turn, the hosts attempted to keep possession and control the game; but they suffered a scare on 13 minutes when Messi set up Fabregas for the opener - only to see the referee rule out the goal for handball. It was eventually a yellow card for Messi, but Barcelona quickly responded with a clean goal on 16 minutes, again from Cesc Fabregas.
A powerful header from the Spaniard following an assist from Dani Alves was enough to give the visitors the lead; yet, Alvarez could blame himself for bad goalkeeping. Both sides afterward tried to pressure each other; but somehow, it was the FIFA Club World Cup winners who seemed to be on top of the game.
Real Madrid vs Granada Report
Real Madrid managed a straightforward victory at home to Granada on Saturday night.
The home crowd could expect a flood of goals right from the start of the game as Jose Mourinho paired Higuain and Benzema in the starting XI.The latter didn’t lose much time to assume his duties. He broke the deadlock after 19 minutes to complete Özil and Ronaldo’s excellent team work on the offensive.
Granada equalized through Mikel Rico quickly after but Sergio Ramos put Real Madrid back in front inside the 34th minute. The Spaniard, who returned to action earlier than expected, sent the ball home with a bullet header.
Jose Mourinho praises Granada as Real Madrid resume La Liga’s title hunt
Since their 6-2 humiliation of Sevilla in December, Real Madrid have not played a league game. Tonight, Los Blancos will host minnows Granada.
Real Madrid vs Granada will be Jose Mourinho’s second match in charge in 2012. The Portuguese boss, who is enjoying the challenge at the Bernabeu, is looking forward to the clash. Avowing his respect towards Granada, Mourinho told the press on Friday:“Granada are a good team that defends well and is dangerous in attack. I wish to congratulate their supporters for travelling such a long way for the team's first match at the Bernabeu in 36 years.
“I would be proud of them if I coached or played for Granada.”
Real Madrid vs Granada Preview
Minnows Granada will face Real Madrid in the Spanish capital on Saturday. Will the visitors give a headache to the current La Liga leaders?
The Santiago Bernabeu crowd was recently treated with an eventful game which ended in favor of the hosts. Real Madrid successfully denied Malaga from achieving victory in the Spanish Copa del Rey. Second half goals from Sami Khedira, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema played the trick as Los Blancos’ defense got exposed during the first period of the match. This time out, Jose Mourinho would want his team to exhibit their potential right from the start of the game before suffering a possible upset to Granada.
Of course, the Spanish giants don’t need to fear much. Their home record and their form are too good to leave room for doubts against a lower opposition like thirteenth-placed Granada.
Real Madrid vs Málaga Report
Real Madrid redefined team work and character last night in their comeback victory over Malaga.
Jose Mourinho picked up a strong starting XI as Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain led the forward line with the assistance of Kaka and Callejon. Lass and Xabi Alonso combined in the defensive midfield area as Real Madrid’s back four missed the services of Sergio Ramos. For Malaga, former Merengues Ruud van Nistelrooy started.
The first goal in 2012 at the Santiago Bernabeu went the visitors’ way. Sergio Sanchez was too strong to beat in the air and his header from a corner ended up crossing the line.
Barcelona could meet Real Madrid in January 2012 after Osasuna in Copa del Rey
January 2012 is not just any month for FC Barcelona. They have a bunch of tough games awaiting them, and already, Osasuna are poised to give the giants a dreadful start to the New Year.
The Barcelona vs Osasuna fixture in the Copa del Rey, kicking off on 4 January 2012 at 4pm EST, will be played over two legs. The return leg takes place eight days after; that means only four days after the big Catalan derby in the Spanish La Liga: Espanyol vs Barcelona.This is a game the defending league champions would not want to lose. With a draw against their rivals certainly not being part of their plans for this month, much effort will be needed to keep Barcelona in La Liga title race.
This goes without saying that they will have to snatch a huge advantage against Osasuna on Wednesday, just so they can have a chance to use minimal energy on January 12 at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra. Three days after their last Copa del Rey match in the Round of 16 this season, Barcelona face Real Betis.
Real Madrid vs Málaga Preview
Top tier football in Spain will kick-off with Copa del Rey fixtures. At the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid will be fired up to open the year 2012 with victory over Malaga.
The Merengues can look at the first part of the 2011/12 campaign with satisfaction. Their 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in La Liga stands out as the only major disappointment as the overall analysis looks rather positive. Real Madrid managed to end 2011 as leaders by 3 points over second-placed Barcelona in the Spanish Primera Division. In the Copa del Rey’s Round of 32, they successfully overcame Ponferradina’s underdog threat with a 7-1 aggregate win. What result will Los Blancos achieve in the Last 16?
The Barcelona and Real Madrid rivalry: are Los Blancos jealous of the Catalans?
Expect Barcelona followers to answer the question above with a capital “YES” even if Real Madrid and their fans insist that they are not jealous of the Catalans…
“Jealous? We do not envy any other team! I play for the best club in the world. Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world and it's impossible for us to be jealous of other clubs.”This is what Portuguese defender Pepe recently told AS as the ping-pong conversation between the two camps continues.
When Barcelona came back from the FIFA Club World Cup victorious, they got acclaimed as the best team in the world and possibly in history. Pep Guardiola’s team exhibited football at its best with emphatic wins over Al Sadd and South American champions Santos in the semis and in the final respectively.
Champions Real Madrid and favorites Barcelona to rock midweek Copa del Rey stage
La Liga won’t return until January 2012 but the Copa del Rey will provide Spanish football followers with entertainment this week.
Los Blancos posses a 2-0 advantage over Ponferradina ahead of tonight’s second leg. However, coach Jose Mourinho has urged Real Madrid to bury overconfidence.A couple of years ago, Real Madrid got stunned by Alcorcon in the early stages of the Copa del Rey. The prospects of a giant-killing by Ponferradina perhaps exist as Mourinho seemed to suggest during Monday’s pre-match press conference.
“The result we earned in the first leg is good, but not definitive,” the outspoken Portuguese manager declared.
Sevilla vs Real Madrid Report
Real Madrid got back to their best on Saturday night, putting their defeat in El Clasico behind. 10-man Los Blancos forced 10-man Sevilla to a 6-2 defeat.
Following his impotent display against Barcelona at the Bernabeu, Cristiano Ronaldo became the center of attraction ahead of the Sevilla encounter. But the Portuguese number 7 responded to his critics with an energetic performance throughout.Ronaldo broke the deadlock inside the 10th minute after combining well with assist maker Di Maria. Varas was left with absolutely no chance. A couple of minutes later, Manu went extremely close to leveling the score for Sevilla.
Casillas, however, had the last word. The Spaniard’s acrobatic save denied the hosts from getting a goal. Javi Varas suffered punishment for a second time in the game as Callejon continued his great form by netting a 37th minute strike.
AC Milan vs Arsenal matchup highlights thrilling Champions League Last 16 draw
The fixtures for the Round of 16 of the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League draw have been revealed. In the highlight of the matchups, Milan and Arsenal will clash against each other in a two-legged tie.
Bayern Munich perhaps got the easiest draw. The German giants will face Switzerland’s Basel. Bayern’s German neighbors, Leverkusen, will have a much tougher task in the form of Pep Guardiola’s invincible Barcelona. Jose Mourinho and his hungry team will need to face the cold weather of Russia. Real Madrid got paired with powerhouse CSKA Moscow.
Zenit and Benfica will vie against each other for quarter-finals tickets. It could be a close affair between the Russians and the Portuguese in this Europa League-like tie.