La Liga Sunday Highlights: Atletico Madrid downed by lowly Malaga

Atletico Madrid 0 - 2 Malaga

(0-1) 3' Duda, (0-2) 70' Javi Lopez

Perhaps they had one eye on their Copa del Rey Semi-final this week, or maybe they took a visit from lowly Malaga too lightly. Either way Atlético Madrid fell to a morale-sapping defeat at the hands of a team that started the day in the relegation zone. Duda hit the first early doors after a teasing cross from the right by Gamez, slipping the ball past De Gea from a tight angle. Atlético had plenty of possession but failed to create any sort of sustained danger and they were punished on 70 minutes when Javi Lopez struck the fatal second. The Copa del Rey and a late push for Europe represents all thats left for Atléticos season.

Real Madrid conquer Riazor 18 years later

Deportivo La Coruña 1 - 3 Real Madrid
(0-1) 13' Granero, (0-2) 40' Benzema (1-2) 86' Riki (p), (1-3) 91' Benzema

The last time they beat Depor in the Riazor, Raul was still working his way through the youth set-up at Atlético. Tonight Real Madrid put an end to 18 years of hurt in Galicia, and all without the main man, Cristiano Ronaldo. A two-match sanction robbed them of the man from Madeira, and an injury crisis robbed them of many more, but they put Deportivo La Coruña to bed with a scintillating first-half display which yielded goals from Granero and Karim Benzema. The Frenchmans goal was all down to a moment of cold-blooded genius from Guti, who was through on goal but decided to back-heel the ball back to Benzema who didnt fail from the middle of the area. The second half saw Madrid take their foot of the gas, and even though Riki converted from the spot after a dubious trip from Sergio Ramos, Benzema sealed the deal in stoppage time after a neat cutback from Arbeloa. The pressure was really on after Barca had beaten Sporting earlier, but Real Madrid had all the answers and proved they can do it without their €96 million man.

Cristiano Ronaldo travels to Coruña

The Cristiano Ronaldo saga has been running all week in the Spanish press; Should he really have been banned for two matches? Did he really mean to elbow Mtiliga in the face? Was it worse than what Messi did against Sevilla when Marc Valiente bear-hugged him off the ball? First he was banned for two matches, then Real Madrid took the case to the RFEF Court of Appeal. The case was thrown out, and as we all tucked ourselves into bed last night, Cristiano was planning his lonely weekend in Madrid, and writing out a cheque for his astronomical €600 fine.

Yet we woke up this morning to pictures of a Riazor-bound Ronaldo stepping onto the Real Madrid private jet. Did Ronaldo volunteer to cheer his teammates on from the stands? Was Paris Hilton in Galicia for the weekend? No, Real Madrid have taken the case even further and appealed to the Spanish Committee of Sporting Discipline.

In a move of desparate proportions, Real Madrid are using every measure available to get the Portuguese star on the pitch come saturday night. In fairness, they're well within their rights to resort to these legal loopholes, especially with an injury crisis which has robbed them of Garay, Lass, Higuaín, Van der Vaart, Gago and Diarra for the match against Depor. But it gets worse, if what has been reported is to be believed. In a show of utter disrespect towards Malaga and Patrick Mtiliga, Real Madrid have even asked the RFEF to send a doctor to examine the players nose. To see if it really is broken. Unbelievable.

Their reaction to the whole affair is winning them, and Cristiano, few friends, not that they'll mind of course. More damaging will be the damning verdict sent out to the rest of the squad: we havn't got much of a chance without Ronny. It might even be that in lengthening the process, Ronaldo misses out on later fixtures such as those against Valencia and Barca. It would be exactly what they deserve.

Copa del Rey Quarter-final Results: Atletico scrape through

They didnt do it the easy way, but then they never do. Atletico Madrid travelled to Vigo needing to score to go through, and once Diego Forlan had put them infront after a disastrous error from centre-back Noguerol, they had the even tougher task of shutting up shop. Aided by another monumental display from Dominguez and a controversial disallowed goal from Trashorras, they held on and Racing Santander await in what promises to be an electric semi-final, with the first installment next week in the Vicente Calderon.


In the tie that would decide who would face Sevilla in the other semi-final, Mallorca saw their cup run ended by Getafe, even though they managed a 1-0 win on the night. Artiz Aduriz got the goal and it could all have been so different had the striker converted a 30th minute penalty that was repelled by Ustari. The Madrileños suffered during a hard-fought second half but they held on to reach their second semi-final in two years.

Yesterday saw Deportivo La Coruña crash out despite pulling one goal back on aggregate in the Sanchez Pizjuan on the stroke of half-time through Bodipo. Sevilla waltzed through a match that will be mostly remembered for being one of the most boring ever. Pity the fans that paid good money to watch this. Both sides never looked interested, with Lotina using the match as a training session for his youth team. In the nights other tie, that man Sergio Canales inspired his team to another victory with an exquisite free-kick that wrapped up a 0-3 win which sends the Cantabrians into the semis. Everyone expected Osasuna to come racing out of the blocks to try and drag themselves back in the tie after losing in Santander 2-1. Yet it was Racing that took the initiative and within 25 minutes they were already two goals to the good. Miguel Portugal has really turned things around at the Sardinero and a place in the last four of the cup is his reward.

Copa del Rey Quarter-Final Results:

Sevilla 0 - 1 Deportivo La Coruña (Sevilla through 3-1 on aggregate)

Osasuna 0 - 3 Racing Santander (Racing through 5-1 on aggregate)
Celta Vigo 0 - 1 Atlético Madrid (Atlético through 2-1 on aggregate)
Getafe 0 - 1 Mallorca (Getafe through 2-2 on away goals rule)

Copa del Rey Semi-Finals:

Sevilla v Getafe
Atlético Madrid v Racing Santander

Phantom penalty for Spain Indoor Team

Oblivious to Cristiano Ronaldos two-match ban and the childish furore surrounding it's fairness, the Spanish Indoor football team are in Hungary, striving to follow in the footsteps of their illustrious counterparts in the 11-a-side format, by lifting the Futsal European Championship trophy. But their bid almost came to a catastrophic and controversial end when during their Quarter-final shootout with Russia, the referee signalled that a penalty struck by Javi Rodriguez, that would have sent them through to the semis, had hit the bar, when everyone else in the arena saw the ball crash against the back of the net. Cue absolute mayhem as the Spanish players went beserk, remostrating for several minutes before calm was eventually restored. Luckily for the Spaniards, their keeper Luis Amado saved the following Russian penalty to send them through, and avoid a Thierry Henry-esque witch-hunt. It's not quite Pedro Mendes V Man United territory, but it's not far off.

Thierry Henry: The end of a legend?

Ever since his big-money move from Arsenal to Barcelona, Thierry Henry has flattered to deceive. There have been flashes of the old Thierry in his three seasons at the Camp Nou, but nothing sustained, which for followers of Spanish football is a huge pity. In his days under Arsene Wenger, Thierry was utterly sublime and is without a doubt one of the finest strikers The Premiership has ever seen. Many criticised Wenger for letting his compatriot leave, but if anything the managers foresight has been proved spot on.

Reasons for Henrys decline could well be personal; a divorce from his wife and a legal struggle for custody of his daughter. They could be physical; he's no spring chicken and has lost a yard of that famous pace. When you watch him now, he struggles to find space that used to come so naturally. The technique is still there, but the sharpness has gone. He blames an ongoing injury for his latest run of poor form, but whatever has been holding him back, he may well find himself on the bench for some time as his succesor Pedro goes from strength to strength. The World Cup will be 'Titis' swansong before he makes a decision on his future, with a move to the US Major League or Saudi Arabia most likely: the guaranteed golden twilight for the modern day retiring star. Have we seen the last of Thierry the Great?

Cristiano Ronaldo Red Card: Deserved?

Cristiano Ronaldo recieved his marching orders for the second time in a Real Madrid shirt this weekend for a forearm smash (I'm not convinced it was the elbow that connected) on Patrick Mtiliga of Málaga; but was it deserved? I feel a degree of sympathy for Cristiano, but in my humble opinion he had to go. The winger must be sick of defenders grabbing chunks of his shirt, in a  attempt to halt his rapid progress , but he needs to learn to not take the law into his own hands and allow the referees to do their job.

Easier said than done though with some of crazy decisions they band around. It would have been wise of Cristiano to have waited for the man in black to blow his trusty whistle and show a yellow card to the defender; not swing his arms wildly behind him, as any contact could be construed, as it was in this case, as gross misconduct worthy of a red card. A battered and bruised Mtiliga has admirably come out in defence of Ronaldo, stating he's confident CR9 didnt mean to break his nose, simply escape his attentions. Yet he still claims a red card was probably fair. Agree? Disagree?

Deportivos Filipe Luis out for 6 months

After operating on Filipe Luis' ankle, surgeon Rafael Arriaza believes the Brazilian could be back on the football pitch within six months. Filipe was rushed into the operating theatre almost as soon as he arrived at the hospital, as one of the main arteries was being obstructed, which could well have led to amputation had it been left for too long. Filipe suffered a terrifying three centimetre dislocation of the ankle along with a fracture of the fibula. Those who were with the player after the incident claimed he was 'as serene as a bullfighter that has just been gored by a bull', telling everyone to calm down and insisting everything was fine. Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper, Gorka Iraizoz, whose unfortunate fall caused Filipes ankle to twist, even claimed the Deportivo star had told him to cheer up as they met after his operation. An absolute inspiration and let's hope the full-back, who was being closely montiored by both Barcelona and Real Madrid, makes a speedy recovery and returns the incredibly talented player he undoubtedly is.

La Liga Sunday: Cristiano Ronaldo - The good, the bad and the ugly

Real Madrid 2 - 0 Malaga

(1-0) 35' Cristiano Ronaldo, (2-0) 39' Cristiano Ronaldo

It takes them a while to get going, during which they are normally indebted to Casillas and poor finishing from their opponents, but it only takes a couple of flashes of excellence to get Real Madrid out of jail and on the road to three points. Today it was Cristiano Ronaldo who took on the responsibility and cracked in two goals to put Malaga out of sight. Yet his brilliance sometimes comes at a cost, and todays was an disgraceful elbow in the face of Mtiliga which earned him a red card and sees him banned from next weeks tricky match against Deportivo. The Galaticos are still not gelling as a unit (bar that sweet move for the first goal!), but as long as they can keep on Barcas tail, when the machine finally clicks they could certainly mount a serious challenge for the league. Trouble for Pelligrini is that it's taking far too long. Next weeks match at the Riazor will be pivotal.

READ ON FOR HIGHLIGHTS OF ALL TONIGHTS LA LIGA MATCHES

La Liga Saturday Highlights: Barcelona streak 8 points clear

Real Valladolid 0 - 3 Barcelona

(0-1) 20' Xavi, (0-2) 22' Dani Alves, (0-3) 54' Messi

Barcelona reached the halfway point of the season unbeaten with yet another sublime performance which saw them reach 23 goals away from home. A breathtaking break saw Xavi put them infront before a cross-come-shot from Alves put them further ahead two minutes later. Leo Messi had never scored against Real Valladolid before today, so he decided to put that right when he smashed in following some good work from Ibrahimovic in the area. 15 league goals puts the Rosario-born genius in pole position for the Pichichi. Real Valladolid certainly made Victor Valdes work hard, with the keeper doing his best to keep his name in Del Bosques mind as the World Cup creeps ever closer. You have to wonder what Valdes has got to do to get a look-in. 8 points now separate Barca from Real Madrid, who will be under pressure to get what looks on paper like a guaranteed three points against Málaga in the Bernabeu.

READ ON FOR REPORTS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF TONIGHTS MATCHES

Sergio Canales: Real Madrid or Manchester City?

The meetings held between Racing Santander and Real Madrid last week, regarding the future of La Ligas newest star, Sergio Canales, seemed to have destined the player for the Bernabeu, but their chances of landing the player now hang in the balance. The players father, and agent, Ángel Canales had spent most of last week in England talking to various clubs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City among them, with representatives of the Manchester club even seen arriving today at Santander Airport, in an attempt to strike a deal.

The richest club in the world have slapped a huge offer on the table which has more than tempted Santander president Francisco Pernía, with a large contract on offer  for the youngster. Real Madrid, perhaps wary of how much they sprayed around last summer, have now stated that they will not enter into a costly price-war, and that the player has one week to accept or decline their offer. It's unfortunate that the player is already the subject of a tug-of-war between some of the biggest clubs in Europe so soon after taking La Liga by storm with some classy goalscoring displays in his role just behind the front two, but what seems clear is that wherever he decides to go, he will be given at least one year more to develop at Racing. He also has the benefit of having his father as his agent and not some money-grabbing mercenary who would simply sell him to the highest bidder with little regard for his personal development. The future of Sergio Canales appears in safe hands.

Real Madrids Albanian Adventure: Gramozi 1 - 2 Real Madrid

Strange that halfway through the season, when teams are about to enter into the business end of proceedings, that Real Madrid should make a mid-week jaunt to Albania for a friendly against Gramozi Ersekë: a type of marketing exercise usually reserved for pre-season. Rumour has it that the president of their Albanian rivals, Rezart Taci, paid Real Madrid €2.5 million to play the Taci Oil Cup, a figure that Real pay out to Cristiano in wages every four months. As it was Real Madrid won through 1-2, and flew away from Tirana injury-free.

But it was certainly a huge risk to play Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom have only recently returned from long injury lay-offs, on a pitch that had ligament damage written all over it. It also remains to be seen what will be the mental and physical cost of a trip to the other end of Europe, but what can be said is that given that they've already been knocked out of the cup, there was no reason not to earn a tidy sum of euros, whilst spreading the Real Madrid love to pastures new and giving a run out to players who have hardly featured in recent weeks; namely Raul, Guti, Dudek, Metzelder and Granero.

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The main bonus Manuel Pelligrini will take away from Albania was the return to goalscoring form of Kaká and Benzema, although the Frenchman also showed that his confidence still hasn't fully recovered since his move from Lyon. Unfortunately for the Albanians, whilst beforehand they wanted to show the world that one of Europes poorest countries could play host to one of the worlds greatest teams, all people are talking about after is the 90 minute blackout which plunged the stadium in darkness. No shame in that, given their financial situation severely limiting the facilities available, and Gramozi certainly did the country proud with a determined display that almost yielded a creditable draw.                        

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Back home in Madrid, the end is nigh for Ruud Van Nistlerooys stay in the spanish capital, with the dutch hitman on the verge of a move either back to the Premiership or to the Bundesliga, with Tottenham, Stoke and Hamburg all interested. Fernando Gago has also agreed a loan move to Boca Juniors which will see the midfielder move back home to Argentina until at least the end of this seaon.

Copa del Rey Quarter-Finals: Sevilla thrash Depor in Riazor (Highlights)

Sevilla put their dismal league form behind them to take a giant leap towards the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey with a barnstorming 0-3 defeat of Deportivo La Coruña in the Riazor. Alvaro Negredo, who had a fantastic match, opened the scoring on 29', whilst a two minute onslaught just after the hour, which harvested goals from Renato and Navas, virtually sealed the tie for the Andalucians. Things got even better for Sevilla as Luis Fabiano made his long-awaited return from injury. Depor had no answer to Sevillas pace to burn out wide, but they certainly weren't helped by Lotinas ultra-defensive set-up which actively frowned upon any attempt to attack.

In the ONO Estadi, Mallorca fell to their first home defeat of the season in all competitions, as Getafe left the island with a slender lead to take into the second leg next week. Manu and debutant Miku put Michels team 0-2 up, before dangerman 'Chori' Castro pulled one back for the Mallorquins with virtually the last kick of the game, a goal which keeps them in the tie. Two teams that will see the Spanish Cup as their chance for glory in 2010, so next weeks second-leg should be a cracker.

Copa del Rey Quarter Finals: First Leg

Deportivo 0 - 3 Sevilla
Mallorac 1 - 2 Getafe
Atlético Madrid 1 - 1 Celta Vigo
Racing 2 - 1 Osasuna

Xerez clearout complete: Gorosito named new manager

When you're bottom of the league with a sorry total of 8 points at the halfway mark in the season, something has got to give. And so it was that Xerez Club Deportivo sacked the manager and the sporting director, with a change of president to boot, in an attempt to arrest an alarming slide straight back into La Segunda. 'Cuco' Ziganda was a likeable coach, and worked as hard as he could with a limited group of players, but this team needs an imposing character, a man that makes his players believe they are twice as good as they actually are, a man with a shrewd eye for bargain basement signings, a Harry Redknapp of spanish football. It remains to be seen if new manager Nestor Gorosito is that man, but if his opening press conference and his no-nonsense mullet are anything to go by, he'll give it a damn good go.

In Europe there's no hiding from the fact that the guy is an unknown quantity. But with the new president, Federico Souza, and his backroom team all being Argentinian, we'll have to trust their move. Gorosito has trained Lanus and Rosario Central in his time in the Argentine League, and claims to have gone through, and successfully negotiated, the same sort of problems that engulf little Xerez right now. He stated after his first session with the squad, that he believes this team can carry out the greatest of escapes and avoid relegation.                                                   

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Perhaps he's alone in that respect, but that won't worry him, as long as he can convince his 22 players to believe the same. The scale of his task has been made all the more evident by Xerezs claim that he and new sporting director Federico Lussenhoff will have just under €1 million to spend on two strikers and an attacking midfielder. The sad aspect of that story was that they seemed to think this was a sufficiently large budget to capture players capable of helping them stay up. No chance. Gorositos reign begins against unpredictable Osasuna at home this weekend, in what is effectively a win or bust situation. If he and his players really harbour hopes of doing a houdini, three points are vital. Last weekends shutout away at fellow strugglers Real Zaragoza with their first-choice back four all out injured and having played with 10 men for the last 40 minutes was heroic. Now they need to start being heroic at the other end of the pitch.

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Meanwhile at the other end of La Liga, Pep Guardiola confirmed he will sign an extension to his deal that will see him remain as Barcelona manager until the end of next season. He will wait to sign this contract until the results of the presidential elections this summer, so Barca will have to take his word for it. He seems a trustworthy bloke though, so they shouldnt be too worried about him fleeing to Manchester. Joan Laporta looked suitably smug with the news, and even found time to state that this was his eighth title of the year, along with the six actual trophies and the 2-6 thrashing of Real Madrid. Naughty.

Sunday Liga Results: Atletico Madrid and Valencia on a roll

Atletico Madrid 3 - 2 Sporting Gijon

(1-0) 12' Forlán, (1-1) 32' Castro (p), (2-1) 54' Assuncao, (3-1) 66' Ibrahima, (3-2) 90' Luis Moran

Wherever they go, goals aren't far behind. After a six goal thriller in the cup, and four goals in their last league encounter, today saw five as Atlético Madrid completed a fruitful week with another league victory. Sporting had looked threatening up until Assuncao put Atletico 2-1, and from that point on it was a one-way traffic as Sergio Agüero ran the show; his run in injury time as good as anything you'll see this season. The only downer for Atletico was the injury to Diego Forlan who was forced off with a ankle problem.

READ ON FOR REPORTS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF ALL TODAYS LIGA MATCHES

Would Guardiola really go to Man United?

As Barcelona streched their lead to five points over their bitter rivals from Madrid with a sparkling second half display against Sevilla, there was still something bugging president Joan Laporta as he made his post-match interviews. The increasing doubt surrounding Pep Guardiolas future at the club and the inevitable questions from reporters about the subject. Laporta did well to undermine the issue, but the wait is making fans and players anxious. Pep will be fully aware of this, so if he was 100% certain about his future at the Catalan club, surely he would have signed an extension already?

News has now sprung up about Manchester United contacting his agent Jose Maria Orobitg, which will only serve to add to the unease that is beginning to creep into the Camp Nou. But would Pep really make the move to Manchester United? Sir Alex Ferguson certainly sees the Catalan as his ideal replacement, once he steps down from the Old Trafford hotseat (expected to be in 2011/2012), and the English club are believed to want to tie Guardiola to a pre-contract agreement which would see him play a part in shaping the future of the Red Devils from next season onwards. La Liga has never been the place to create a legacy, with managers rarely lasting more than five years at the same club, unlike English football which seems to have slightly more patience with managers when things go pearshaped, at least in comparison to their continental counterparts. Just look at Wenger at Arsenal who hasn't won a trophy in four years. Is this playing on Guardiolas mind?

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As a player he was eager to move abroad once his time with Barca came to a close, moving to Italy (Roma and Brescia), Qatar and Mexico towards the end of his glittering playing career. That said, his time in Italy was relatively unsuccesful and was even tainted by controversy; testing positive for nandrolone, although later cleared on appeal. He also turned down the chance to play for Man United on more than one occasion, so why not once more as manager? Personally, I just cannot see him moving away from Barcelona any time soon. He has close bonds with several players in the squad who, like himself, were raised in 'La Masia' and he would have to adapt to a completely new footballing philosophy if he made the move to Old Trafford, a club that even appears to be entering into severe financial troubles. He may not ever be able to replicate the six trophies that last year brought, but if he can win La Liga and the Champions League regularly, no-one will be complaining. The man is Barcelona born and bred, and when Laportas easter deadline comes, expect Pep to sign on the dotted line once more.

Saturdays Liga Highlights: Barca streak five points clear as Madrid fire blanks

Athletic Bilbao 1 - 0 Real Madrid
(1-0) 2' Llorente

Athletic Bilbao came out all guns blazing as they struck the post twice and scored the decisive goal inside the first two minutes to send Real Madrid crashing to a demoralising defeat. Fernando Llorente headed in from an early corner after Lass had directed the ball into his path, rewarding Bilbao for a riproaring start that had the Madridistas rocking. From then on it was the Iraizoz show as the keeper repelled everything Ronaldo, Kaká and Benzema sent his way. Incredible as it sounds, with hundreds of millions of euros on the pitch, Real Madrid lacked a killer instinct infront of goal that Gonzalo Higuain had been providing of late, with Kaká and Ronaldo particularly guilty of squandering chances. To his credit, Benzema was sharp on his return to the side and was unlucky to hit the post with one of the few chances that came his way. But Athletic Bilbao hung on to claim a famous victory as Real Madrid drop five points behind Barca with some of the press claiming it to be an unassailable lead; ridiculous with not even half the season gone, but many more of these types of displays, especially away from the Bernabeu, and it really will be title charge over.

Barcelona 4 - 0 Sevilla

(1-0) 49' Escude (o.g), (2-0) 70' Pedro, (3-0) 85' Messi, (4-0) 90' Messi

Barcelona exacted revenge on Sevilla as they thrashed the Andalucians only days after being knocked out of the cup. Yet during a fairly dull first half, it looked as if Sevilla were going to spring another surprise on the league leaders, as their two defensive banks of four did well to restrict the time and space Barca had on the ball. When Barcelona did work a way through the mass of bodies Sevilla planted infront of the ball, they found Andres Palop in the same form that had seen him single-handedly knock Barca out of the Copa del Rey. But whatever Guardiola said to his team at the break worked as they smashed in four goals, including a gorgeous dink from sub Pedro and two late goals from La Liga topscorer Lionel Messi to send Sevilla south with another league defeat to ponder upon. Manolo Jiminez will want Luis Fabiano and Kanoute back as soon as possible as without them they lack any sort of goalthreat. It was also strange Renato spent the whole match sat on the bench, as they seriously missed his organisation and guile in the middle of the pitch. Barca march on as their mini-crisis (what crisis?) has been stamped out with nine goals in two games.

Osasuna 2 - 0 Espanyol

(1-0) 7' Juanfran, (2-0) 8' Pandiani

Osasuna had gone five games without winning, four games without scoring, and four games without a win at home. But they only needed one minute to end all three runs as Juanfran and Walter Pandiani (perhaps the finest headerer of the ball in La Liga) sent their team into an early lead against Espanyol which was enough to earn them three vital points in their battle to drag themselves away from the relegation zone. Espanyol were never at the races, and even though they perked up after a dismal opening half hour, chances were few and far between and Pochettino will be worried by the lack of fight and passion his players showed during the match. Without Tamudo and Luis Garcia, their two best strikers by a country mile, scoring goals will be a struggle.

Copa del Rey: Atlético Madrid - License to thrill

Atlético Madrid are pure entertainment. The Jekyll and Hyde of Spanish football added another chapter to their colourful past as they achieved what no other team had ever achieved in Copa del Rey history; to come back from a first-leg 3 goal deficit. And in typical Atlético style, they did it hard way. It was looking like that run in the snow had worked wonders when they stormed into a four goal lead, through goals from Aguero (x2), Simao and Ujfalusi. But halfway through the second half, Recreativo pulled a goal back, after the obligatory defensive shocker from Atlético, to lead on away goals. Shortly after, Assuncao received a second yellow for a needless trip from behind and left his team staring at a farcical cup exit. But with a vociferous Vicente Calderon and an animated Quique urging them on, they took the lead in the tie once more as Simao stepped up with seven minutes remaining to curl a sumptuous free kick into the top-right corner to send the 'Mattressmen' flying into the quarters. The last two games have seen them score nine and concede two, and they're my bet to go on and win the cup looking at that draw: Quique deserves a nice manly pat on the back.

 

Copa del Rey Results 14.01.10

Atlético Madrid 5 - 1 Recreativo Huelva (Atlético through 5-4 on aggregate)
Mallorca 3 - 1 Rayo Vallecano (Mallorca through 4-3 on aggregate)

Copa del Rey Quarter-Final Draw:

Deportivo La Coruña v Sevilla

Mallorca v Getafe

Atlético Madrid v Celta

Racing Santander v Osasuna

Copa del Rey: Barcelona KO'd in the Cup

They're human after all. Having swept everything placed infront of them last season, they have fallen at the first hurdle in 2010 after succumbing to an aggregate defeat by Sevilla in the Copa del Rey. The match was an absolute thriller and a firm response to those who proclaimed the cup a dead duck last week when only a total of 90,000 spectators turned up to all the cup ties combined (not enough to fill the Camp Nou). Barca pushed and pushed for the two goals they needed to go through, but a sweet Xavi effort was all they got as they found Spanish number three Andrés Palop in superb form. Ibrahimovic had a shocker, whilst 'Titi' Henry was lucky not to receive a straight red for a disgraceful challenge on Jesus Navas. In fairness, after last season, they was only one way they could go, but so soon?

Elsewhere, Real Madrids tormentors Alcorcón bravely bowed out at Racing Santander (who are struggling for dear life to hold onto their teenage star Sergio Canales); Valencia grabbed two early goals that would have seen them through, only to then concede two as Depor secured qualification; Getafe smashed five past a hopeless Málaga side who seemed content to get tie out of the way to concentrate on league affairs; Celta Vigo, the only non top-flight side left in the cup, scored a 90th minute penalty to send Villarreal crashing out, whilst Osasuna got the goal they needed to qualify at Hercules' expense on away goals.

Real Madrids Higuaín and Van der Vaart out for three weeks

Real Madrid have been rocked by the news that red-hot striker Gonzalo Higuaín has been ruled out for at least three weeks with a tear in his left thigh, meaning he will miss the matches against Athletic Bilbao, Málaga and Deportivo La Coruña. With 11 league goals to his name already this season, the Argentine has been vital in Madrids pursuit of Barcelona, and whilst they'll certainly be blunted without his goalthreat, it's his lung-bursting work-rate ín Madrids first line of defence that will be most notably missed. Van Nistelrooy, Raul and Benzema are all waiting in the wings, ready to take over, so Real will not be short of firepower, at least in theory. Van Nistlerooy is yet to make a serious recovery from his most recent injury, Raul isnt getting any younger and Benzema has endured an indifferent start to his Madrid career.

Rafael Van der Vaart and Xabi Alonso were also injured during the snow-hit Mallorca match and whilst Alonsos injury isn't expected to rule him out for too long, Van der Vaart will join Higuain in the treatment room for the next three weeks; a sad end to his rich vein of form which had seen him cement a place in Madrids starting line-up. An injury crisis is beginning to descend upon Pelligrinis side, and the strength of their squad will be severely tested in the weeks to come. Kaká, Gago and Granero will need to be on top of their game in Madrids engine room, whilst Ronaldos goals will be required more than ever. I would still expect them to get past Málaga, but Athletic Bilbao and Depor away (they havn't won in the Riazor for 17 years) will be tough assignments.

Sunday Liga Results: Messi hattrick downs Tenerife

Tenerife 0 - 5 Barcelona

(0-1) 36' Messi, (0-2) 44' Puyol, (0-3) 45' Messi, (0-4) 75' Messi, (0-5) 85' Luna (o.g)

When you are as good as Barcelona are, and when you've won everything on offer in the last 12 months, it's inevitable that after a couple of games that failed to yield a win, people start announcing the end of the Barca dynasty. Absolute rubbish. The phrase 'form is temporary, class is permanent' has never rung truer, as Leo Messi weaved his magic to score two goals before half time, after Barca had been under the cosh for the opening 35 mins. The finest footballer on the planet then completed his hattrick in the 75th minute, and Tenerife were left to rue not turning their opening dominance into goals. Guardiola also had Victor Valdes to thank for some timely interventions whilst Barcas backline endured a shaky start. Real Madrid had laid down the gauntlet earlier on in the afternoon; Barcelona answered in style.

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Saturday Liga Results: Sergio Canales sinks Sevilla; Atlético fight back

Sevilla 1 - 2 Racing Santander
(0-1) 25' Canales, (0-2) 37' Canales, (1-2) 61' Romaric

Sevilla sunk to another deflating home defeat as they were ripped apart by a first-half Sergio Canales masterclass. The teen sensation scored two stunning goals, leaving clear signs that he is destined for stardom, as Miguel Angel Portugals Racing team stung Sevilla with some scintillating counter-attacking football. The first goal was a delightful chip over Palop, with the second exquisitely executed as he rounded Palop and waited before slotting past a desparate lunge from Adriano on the line. True cold-blooded finishing from a Racing youth product half owned by Deportivo La Coruña. For Sevilla manager Manolo Jimenez he will be hoping his team can fight through January, dropping as few points as possible as Kanoute, Kone and Zokora compete in the African Cup of Nations and Luis Fabiano recovers from injury. They also need to rectify a home record of four wins in nine if they are to arrest a slide which has already put pay to their La Liga hopes and has seen them slide out of the Champions League positions.

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La Liga Photo of the Day: Snow joke for Atletico Madrid

Something tells me they´ll try harder against Recreativo in the second leg.....

 

 

Copa Del Rey Last 16: Sevilla surprise Cup Holders whilst Atléticos nightmare continues

Recreativo de Huelva and Sevilla provided the cupsets of the round so far as they both finished the first leg ahead of their supposed superior rivals. In yesterdays tie at the Camp Nou, Barcelona and Sevilla both had grounds for complaint regarding the performance of referee Alfonso Burrull as Bojan and Diego Capel had goals incorrectly chalked off, whereas the penalty awarded to Sevilla appeared to occur outside of the box. Burrul is indebted to both coaches as they made no mention of his performance is their post-match interviews, with Guardiola even happy to take the blame for Barcas defeat. The highlight of the match was Ibrahimovics delightfully-taken goal. The big Swede is unplayable at the moment.

Atletico Madrid seem to be taking one step forward and two steps back right now. The win over Sevilla at the weekend was supposed to be a case of corner turned after a disastrous last half of 2009, but they faltered badly in Huelva and left 3-0 down on aggregate and in serious danger of being knocked out of the only competition they could still realistically win this season. Recreativo were dominant from start to finish and were already 1-0 up when Ujfalusi committed a recklessly high tackle which earned him a deserved straight red and left his teammates in the lurch for the remainding 70 minutes. The usually calm Quique Sanchez Flores was livid with his players lack of professionalism and made it clear that he would not persist with players who 'continue to dissapoint'. Other news to come out of the club was that midfielder Maxi Rodriguez  is on the verge of a move to English club Liverpool for a fee of about €1.5m. The second move of a clearout that has already seen Sinama-Pongolle shipped off to Sporting Lisbon.

Copa Del Rey Last 16 First Leg Results

Barcelona 1 - 2 Sevilla

Recreativo Huelva 3 - 0 Atlético Madrid

Celta Vigo 1 - 1 Villarreal

Valencia 1 - 2 Deportivo La Coruña

Alcorcón 2 - 3 Racing Santander

Hercules 2 - 1 Osasuna

Rayo Vallecano 2 - 1 Mallorca

Málaga 2 - 1 Getafe

La Liga Results - Matchday 16: Real Madrid stay second

Osasuna 0 - 0 Real Madrid

This was Real Madrids chance to put a marker down for 2010 and take advantage of Barcelonas 'shock' draw against Villarreal. The press had placed much emphasis on Madrids chance to go top, as if it could be a pivotal moment in the season. As it was, they found a stubborn Osasuna outfit who had as many chances to win the match as their illustrious visitors. The Reyno Navarro has been a happy hunting ground for the Bernabeu side in recent years, and was the scene of Real Madrids league triumph three years ago, but with Higuaín and Cristiano Ronaldo not enjoying their finest hour and the Osasuna defence utterly resolute, a 0-0 draw was probably a fair result. So it's as you were at the top of La Liga, with two points separating the leaders from Real. Will Madrid live to regret their failure to put Barca under a bit of early pressure?

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La Liga Results: Villarreal gatecrash Camp Nou Party

Barcelona 1 - 1 Villarreal
(1-0) 7' Pedro, (1-1) 50' Fuster

Whoever wrote the Camp Nou script for Barcelonas celebration of their six trophy bonanza, a draw with Villarreal surely wasn't part of it. That man Pedro got the hosts off to the perfect start after Thierry Henry had slammed a first time shot onto the bar, and he chested down to fire emphatically past Diego Lopez. From then on the Villarreal defence was heroic in the face of wave after wave of Barca attacks, and even after being turned down a nailed on penalty when Dani Alves felled Marcano, David Fuster was in the right place at the right time to slot in Cani's cross. If Real Madrid win tomorrow they go top. Not quite the New Year start Barca were looking for.

Valencia 1 - 0 Espanyol

(1-0) 92' Zigic

Espanyol fought tooth and nail for the away draw, but were undone by a fantastic Valencia move with practically the last touch of the match. Valencia battered Kamenis goal from start to finish with David Villa at the forefront, offering one mazy run in which he bamboozled one defender, nutmegged a second but found the goalkeepers legs with his shot. When Villa didnt find the Cameroon keeper in fine form, he found the woodwork and it looked like it would be Valencias day when in added time, Nicola Zigic headed a ball out wide to Joaquin, who put in a fantastic cross which found the rampaging beanpole who headed in past Kameni and sent the Mestalla into hysterics. 'Los Che' are flying high.

Atlético Madrid 2 - 1 Sevilla

(0-1) 44' Renato, (1-1) 48' Dragutinovic (o.g), (2-1) 94' Antonio Lopez

Antonio Lopez appeared at the front post to head in Simaos 94th minute free-kick and send the Vicente Calderon into raptures, giving Atlético Madrid a morale boosting start to 2010. The Atlético Madrid faithful deserved this last-gasp treat and whilst there were still a couple of signs of defensive frailty, especially just before giving away the corner which lead to Renatos opener, there were also signs that Atlético had improved upon their 2009 version. Quique gave starts to youngsters Ibrahim, Valera and Dominguez and they repaid their boss with fine displays which betrayed their young years. Sevilla were looking good up until half time but an unlucky rebound off Dragutinovic when Forlán had been clean through brought the hosts level and after Duscher had been sent off for a second yellow they gave away a needless free-kick on the edge of the area which was punished with Atleticos winner.

La Liga News: Sergio Sanchez withdraws from football

After the tragic deaths of Antonio Puerta and Dani Jarque, and the indefinite retirement from football by Ruben de la Red, Spanish football recieved another kick in the teeth with the news that Sevilla defender Sergio Sanchez has to withdraw from all footballing activity. The Andalucian club had carried out medical tests on all the whole first team squad, with the young defender returning results that showed he suffers from a heart problem, the exact nature of which is still unknown. Fingers crossed it's just a scare and that the talented youngster can return to football as soon as possible.