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L aL iga 1 - M atch D ay 2 6
EL CLÁSICO was played last weekend, as the top two faced each other in Barcelona, and it was the league leaders, FC Barcelona who ran out narrow 2-1 winners in a game that lived up to its billing. Both sides created chances with the home side having slightly the better of the chances, although Courtois in the Real Madrid goal played a blinder and made some excellent saves. The visitors actually took the lead with an own goal (Araújo) in the ninth minute of the game, before Sergi Roberto equalised right on half time and Franck Kassié won the game for the home side with a winning goal in the 96th minute.
The win for Barcelona keeps them top but they are now on 68 points, 12 points ahead of Real Madrid (56 points), and, I am sure, have enough of a cushion to make it almost impossible to be caught at the top.
Atlético Madrid stay in third position (51 points) after their comfortable 3-0 home win against a Valencia side, who, unless they start to win a few matches soon, could actually get relegated, which would be a disaster for them, although, looking at what has been happening within that club in the last six or seven seasons, it would not be a surprise to most people.
In fact, all of the top seven sides in this division (apart from Real Madrid), won their matches. Real Sociedad beat Elche (2-0) and are in fourth spot with 48 points, three points ahead of Real Betis (45 points) in fifth position and Villarreal (41 points) in sixth. Athletic Bilbao are in joint seventh place with Rayo Vallecano, both on 36 points.
Osasuna are in joint ninth position with Celta Vigo. Celta Vigo are one of the ‘in form’ sides at the moment, with three wins and two draws from their last five played. Both Osasuna and Celta have 34 points but their current form is very different, with Osasuna winning only once and suffering three defeats from their last five matches played.
Real Mallorca were beaten again at the weekend and are in 11th position with 32 points. They are one place and one point above Girona (31 points), and three points above 13th place Getafe on 29 points, who were the only one of these three sides to win their match.
Sevilla are in joint 14th position. They have 28 points but have lost three and drawn one of their last five matches. They are level on points with both Cádiz and Valladolid. Espanyol are in 17th position - the first or last of the safety places, depending on how you look at it! - but their current form of three defeats on the spin is not a confidence booster. They have 27 points and are just one point above the relegation zone.
The three sides at the bottom, Valencia, Almería and Elche, didn't manage a win between them. Valencia and Almería are in joint 18th on 26 points, whilst Elche, at the foot of the table as they have been most of the season, lost again and have just 13 points. After this latest defeat, Elche sacked manager Pablo Machín, their third of the season at the Martínez Valero stadium, and hired Argentianian Sebastián Beccacece.
It should also be noted that there were no red cards shown in this division last weekend!!
R esults for M atch D ay 2 6 (M arch17-19)
Valladolid 1-3 Athletic Bilbao Almería 1-1 Cádiz
Rayo Vallecano 2-2 Girona Espanyol 1-3 Celta Vigo Atlético Madrid 3-0 Valencia Real Betis 1-0 Real Mallorca Real Sociedad 2-0 Elche Osasuna 0-3 Villarreal Getafe 2-0 Sevilla FC Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid
F ix tures for M atch D ay 2 7 (2023March31-April3) Real Mallorca v Osasuna Girona v Espanyol Athletic Bilbao v Getafe Cádiz v Sevilla
Elche v Barcelona
Celta Vigo v Almería Real Madrid v Valladolid Villarreal v Real Sociedad Atlético Madrid v Real Betis Valencia v Rayo Vallecano
L aL iga 2 - M atch D ay 3 2 Eibar continue at the top of this group after winning their fifth game on the spin - 2-3 away at Mirandés. The win increases their lead at the top of the table to four points, as last weeks´ second placed side, Las Palmas were hammered 4-0 in their local derby match at Tenerife. Eibar have 62 points, four points above Granada (58 points), who jump into second spot after their 1-2 away win at Albacete. Las Palmas are now in third position on goal difference, and also on 58 points. Levante drop down a place despite drawing 0-0 away at Málaga. They are on 56 points and two points above fifth placed Alavés, who are on 54 points but have a very poor current form record, with two defeats and two draws from their last four matches played.
Albacete, one win from five played, are in sixth position with 51 points. They have a five point cushion over seventh placed side Burgos (46 points). Burgos, whose early season form was really good, have had a terrible time since the turn of the year and have not won any of their last five matches (three draws and two defeats).
Villarreal B and FC Cartagena met at the weekend, with the home side running away with the points in a crazy match. The 5-2 score line does not really reflect how the match panned out. Villarreal took the lead on nine minutes (before that they had a goal overturned by VAR), then hit the woodwork before Cartagena scored twice (20th and 29th minute) to go in ahead at the break. The home side equalised from the penalty spot on 73 minutes before Cartagena had a player red-carded on 76 minutes. At that point, this game looked like a dead cert draw, but nothing could prepare us for what was to happen after the 90th minute! First, on 93 minutes Villarreal took the lead for the second time in the game. They increased that lead two minutes later, and on 98 minutes were awarded another penalty (and a second red card for Cartagena), from which they scored their fifth goal of the game. Phew! This result leaves both Villarreal B and Cartagena level on 44 points and in joint eighth position.
Four draws and a win from their last five matches leave Huesca in 10th place with 42 points. They are one place and one point above Tenerife (41 points), with three sides (Andorra, Mirandés and Leganés) all in joint 12th place on 40 points, as none of them could claim a win at the weekend.
Zaragoza and Oviedo are in joint 15th position on 39 points, with Racing Santander (38 points) and Sporting Gijón (37 points) just below them, but still flirting with the relegation places.
In the four relegation places, only Ponferradina managed a win (their first win in their last five games). They are now in 19th place with 33 points. Málaga are in 20th position after their home draw against Levante. Ibiza, in 21st place, also drew, away to Andorra, and have 25 points, the same tally as CD Lugo, who are bottom of the table for at least another week following their home draw against Racing Santander.
As an aside, it is interesting to note that none of the bottom eight sides lost at the weekend.
R esults for M atch D ay 3 2 (M arch17-20)
Málaga 0-0 Levante Andorra 2-2 Ibiza Albacete 1-2 Granada Leganés 0-1 Oviedo Tenerife 4-1 Las Palmas Ponferradina 1-0 Alavés Burgos 0-0 Sporting Gijón Huesca 1-1 Zaragoza
CD Lugo 1-1 Racing Santander Villarreal B 5-2 FC Cartagena Mirandés 2-3 Eibar
F ix tures for M atch D ay 3 3 (M arch24-27)
FC Cartagena v CD Lugo Ibiza v Burgos Racing Santander v Levante Alavés v Tenerife Eibar v Andorra Ponferradina v Mirandés Zaragoza v Albacete Granada v Oviedo Villarreal B v Huesca Las Palmas v Sporting Gijón Málaga v Leganés